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Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada appearance before the Special Committee on Afghanistan (AFGH) on Humanitarian Aid

2022-04-04

Table of Contents

  1. AFGH Committee Overview
    1. Scenario Note
    2. Opening Remarks
    3. AFGH Member Biographies
  2. Briefing Notes
    1. Afghanistan-Related Q&A at Recent MINE and MINA Committee Appearances
    2. Canada’s Engagement in Afghanistan
    3. Afghanistan Today: Political, Economic, Humanitarian & Security Context
    4. Humanitarian Response
    5. International Responses to the Crisis
    6. Engagement with the Taliban
    7. Development programming in Afghanistan (incl. implications of the sanctions / criminal code for our Canadian partners)
    8. Sanctions & Criminal Code Listings
    9. QA - Sanctions & Criminal Code Listings

AFGH Committee Overview

Appearance before the Special Committee on Afghanistan (AFGH) on Humanitarian Aid
Minister of International Development
April 4, 2022

Scenario Note

Meeting scenario

Committee context

First Round

  • Conservative (6 minutes)
  • Liberal (6 minutes)
  • Bloc Québécois (6 minutes)
  • NDP (6 minutes)

Second Round

  • Conservative (5 minutes)
  • Liberal (5 minutes)
  • Bloc Québécois (2.5 minutes)
  • NDP (2.5 minutes)
  • Conservative (5 minutes)
  • Liberal (5 minutes)

Committee membership & interests

Opening Remarks

Canada has a long history of supporting Afghanistan and its people.

Over two decades we have seen…

40,000 Canadians bravely serve in the NATO mission in Afghanistan…

The resettlement of thousands of Afghan refugees to Canada…

And Canadian development funding supporting a generation of Afghans achieve a higher standard of living.

Which is why there is no doubt that Afghanistan has been a priority for the Government of Canada.

Over time our engagement has helped support improvements on multiple fronts – development, peace and security, and humanitarian.

However, since the Taliban takeover in August, we have seen an unfortunate regression on many of these gains. Public services are ineffective. Health systems are struggling. The economy is in crisis. And recently we saw the Taliban reverse its commitment to allow all girls over grade 6 to return to school.

We recognized early post-takeover that the severity of the crisis was going to be greater than anything we had witnessed before in Afghanistan.

The humanitarian situation is dire.

In 2022, the United Nations estimates that 24 million people inside Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance.

These people urgently need… Food assistance…

Treatment for malnutrition… Shelter…

And access to health services.

23 million people – half of Afghanistan’s population – are acutely food insecure, including 8.7 million people who are at risk of famine.

Closely linked to acute food insecurity is the risk of malnutrition. Almost 5 million people in Afghanistan will require treatment for acute malnutrition, including 2.8 million children.

6.5    million people are lacking appropriate shelter and supplies to survive Afghanistan’s harsh winter.

Lastly, 3 million children under five and 3.4 million women of reproductive age will require emergency health services in 2022 alone.

In the face of these needs Canada has pivoted its support to focus on humanitarian assistance since the fall of Kabul.

Canada continues to support experienced humanitarian partners that are delivering results on the ground in the sectors of greatest identified need – food, nutrition, shelter and health.

The World Food Programme is the lead humanitarian agency delivering food assistance. That is why over half of Canada’s recent humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and the region is supporting their operations.

With Canada’s support, to date in 2022, WFP has provided 13 million people with the food they desperately needed.

Canada is also supporting UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to procure Ready to Use Therapeutic Food to treat cases of severe acute malnutrition in children under five.

Our support to this effort will help save over 56,000 children from dying of starvation.

We are partnering with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) who, with other humanitarian partners, have reached over 500,000 people with winterization assistance such as

Shelter… Fuel… Heaters…

And winter clothing.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have access in some of the historically hardest to reach areas, and is supporting regional and provincial hospitals and the staff who work in them to help prevent total collapse of the health services in Afghanistan.

They continue to scale up their efforts with Canadian support.

The crisis in Afghanistan is also adding pressure on neighbouring countries. We recognize their continued generosity in hosting such large numbers of Afghan refugees.

We are supporting partners such as WFP and UNHCR to make sure the needs in these countries are not forgotten.

Canada commends the critical work of these experienced humanitarian partners in Afghanistan and the region.

Our partners have measures in place to mitigate risk while responding to the needs of the most vulnerable.

They operate on the front lines of this response day after day under challenging circumstances.

We have listened to their requests and Canada has stepped up to support their efforts.

Our humanitarian response since August is the largest it has ever been for Afghanistan.

On March 31, Canada announced $50 million of new humanitarian funding for 2022 at the pledging conference, co-hosted by the UN, Germany, UK and Qatar.

This brings our total 2022 humanitarian assistance in response to this crisis to $143 million.

Canadians can rest assured that this money is being put to good use and responding to the most pressing humanitarian needs.

We will continue to support the delivery of principled humanitarian assistance and work with our partners to

ensure it reaches the most vulnerable in Afghanistan and in neighbouring countries.

As you well know, Afghanistan is on the brink.

To avoid a humanitarian catastrophe, Canada will continue to be part of the solution.

AFGH Member Biographies

Sukh Dhaliwal

(LPC – Surrey–Newton, BC)

Sukh Dhaliwal
Key Interests
Parliamentary Roles

Mr. Dhaliwal is currently serving as the MP for Surrey-Newton. He has been a member of several parliamentary associations and inter-parliamentary groups such as the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association (CANA), the Canada-China Legislative Association (CACN), the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association (CAEU) and the Canada-United Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association (RUUK), among others.

Notable Committee Memberships
Background

Mr. Dhaliwal was first elected to the House of Commons in 2006, where he served until he was defeated in 2011, however he returned to Parliament in October 2015. Prior to this, Mr. Dhaliwal was a small business owner and engineer, as well as an active community member in his hometown of Surrey, BC. He volunteered on the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Emergency Capital Campaign and as a member of the City of Surrey Parks and Community Services Committee. He obtained his BSc in civil engineering from Guru Nank Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana, and his second BSc in geomatics engineering from the University of Calgary.

Issue Specific Background & Social Media

He has made no statements relating to Afghanistan during this, or the previous Parliament.

Mr. Dhaliwal’s most recent statements in Parliament concerned human rights (particularly religious freedoms), Indigenous reconciliation, citizenship and immigration, as well as public health He has also been active on Twitter, where he has tweeted, and re-tweeted fellow parliamentarians, particularly concerning religious holidays, Indigenous reconciliation and public health protocols.

Hon. Michael D. Chong, P.C.

(CPC—Wellington – Halton Hills, ON)

Official Opposition Critic for Foreign Affairs

Hon. Michael D. Chong, P.C.

Key Interests

Parliamentary Roles

Mr. Chong is currently serving as the Official Opposition Critic for Foreign Affairs. MP Chong previously occupied the positions of President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and the Minister for Sport from February to November 2006. He has been a member of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association (CANA), the Canada-China Legislative Association (CACN), and the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group (CEUS), among others.

Notable Committee Memberships
Background

Mr. Chong was first elected to Parliament in 2004 and has been Chair of several House of Commons Standing Committees. He is a co-founder and member of the All Party Climate Caucus since it was formed in 2011. In the 42nd Parliament, MP Chong served as the Official Opposition’s Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Shadow Minister for Science. In 2015, Chong’s Reform Act passed Parliament and became law.

Prior to his election, Mr. Chong acted as Chief Information Officer for the National Hockey League

Players’ Association and as a Senior Technology Consultant to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority for the redevelopment of Pearson International Airport. MP Chong also co-founded the Dominion Institute, now known as Historica Canada, an organization committed to raising Canadians’ awareness of history and civics. He currently sits on its Board of Governors. Mr. Chong attended Trinity College in the University of Toronto where he obtained his BA in philosophy.

Issue Specific Background & Social media

Mr. Chong has made several statements on Afghanistan, most recently during the CPC Opposition Day on December 7, 2021. He is generally critical of the government’s response to the crisis, particularly the withdrawal of Canadian personnel, Afghan interpreters and their families, as well as the lack of foresight in planning and preparedness.

Mr. Chong’s most recent statements in Parliament concerned Canada-U.S. relations, China, human rights, Afghanistan, refugees and repatriation. He is very active on Twitter, tweeting and retweeting fellow parliamentarians on subjects such as China, the ongoing Uyghur genocide, Taiwan, the Israeli- Palestinian conflict and the democracy movement in Hong Kong. Finally, since his appointment as Foreign Affairs Critic in October 2020, he has been meeting with ambassadors and posting reports of their discussions on Twitter. Of late, he met with the ambassadors of Saint-Kitts-and-Nevis (May 11), Colombia (May 11) and Serbia (Apr 23).

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe

(BQ – Lac-Saint-Jean, QC)

Critic for Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees and Human Rights

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe
Key Interests
Parliamentary Roles

Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe is currently serving as the MP for Lac-Saint-Jean, as well as the BQ Critic for Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship and Human rights. He has been a member of several parliamentary associations and inter-parliamentary groups such as the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association (CAAF), the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (CAPF), the Canada- China Legislative Association (CACN) and Canada-Italy Parliamentary Group (CAIT), among others.

Notable Committee Memberships
Background

Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe was first elected to the House of Commons in October 2019, and was subsequently re-elected in September 2021. Prior to his election, he was most recently employed by Resolute Forest Products (a Montreal pulp and paper manufacturer), after working for nearly twenty years in film production. He obtained his diploma in media art and technology from the Cégep de Jonquière. He is the son of former BQ Leader Gilles Duceppe.

Issue Specific Background & Social Media

Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe has made several statements on Afghanistan, most recently during the CPC Opposition Day on December 7, 2021. He is generally critical of the government’s response to the crisis, particularly concerning immigration, refugees and repatriation.

Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe’s most recent statements in Parliament concerned foreign policy (China; Uighur, human rights), Canada-US relations, illegal immigration and the COVID-19 pandemic. He is very active on Twitter, mainly concerning foreign policy (specifically relating to China’s ongoing human rights violations), illegal immigration and Canada-US relations (concerning Quebec economic interests).

Jenny Kwan

(NDP – Vancouver East, BC)

Critic for Multiculturalism, Immigration, Citizenship and Refuges

Jenny Kwan
Key Interests

Parliamentary Roles

Ms. Kwan is currently serving as the MP for Vancouver East, as well as the NDP Caucus Chair and Critic for Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees. She has been a member of several parliamentary associations and inter-parliamentary groups such as the Canada-China Legislative Association (CACN) and the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group (CAJP).

Notable Committee Memberships
Background

Ms. Kwan was first elected to the House of Commons in October 2015, and was subsequently re-elected in October 2019 and September 2021. Prior to her election to Parliament, she was a Member of the BC Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 2015, having served in three NDP governments as Minister for Municipal Affairs, Women’s Equality and Community Development. She obtained her BA in criminology from Simon Fraser University.

Issue Specific Background & Social Media

Ms. Kwan has made several statements concerning Afghanistan during this Parliament, most recently on the CPC Opposition Day on December 7, 2021. She is generally critical of the government’s response to the crisis, particularly concerning immigration, refugees, repatriation and women’s rights.

Ms. Kwan’s most recent statements in Parliament concerned housing, Indigenous reconciliation, immigration, citizenship and refugees. She is very active on Twitter; where she tweeted about and advocated for a coordinated response to China’s actions in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, a national housing strategy/policy, U.S. tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber and greater action on Indigenous reconciliation.

Yvan Baker

(LPC — Etobicoke Centre, ON)

Yvan Baker
Key Interests
Parliamentary Roles

Mr. Baker is currently serving as the MP for Etobicoke Centre. During the 43rd Parliament, he is a member of a few parliamentary associations and interparliamentary groups, such as the Canada-China Legislative Association (CACN), the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association (CANA), and the Canada- Europe Parliamentary Association (CAEU), among others.

Notable Committee Memberships
Background

Mr. Baker was first elected to the House of Commons in October 2019, and was subsequently re-elected in September 2021. Prior to his career in politics, he had a large focus on business administration and management. Per MP Baker’s website, he has been involved in causes focusing on violence against women, and supporting emerging women leaders in Rwanda on multiple issues. He was previously awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. He obtained his BBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University, and his MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire.

Issue Specific Background & Social Media

Mr. Baker has made no statement relating to Afghanistan during this, or the previous Parliament.

He has a relatively limited number of interventions in the House, in this and previous Parliaments. Mr. Baker’s most recent statements in Parliament concerned immigration, Ukraine, communism and Poland. He is active on Twitter, tweeting and retweeting fellow parliamentarians on subjects such as the condemnation of Russia’s treatment of Ukraine (MP Baker is Ukrainian), as well as Belarus’ brutal crackdown on protesters following the disputed recent presidential election. He also has been an advocate for establishing national standards for long-term care homes.

John Brassard

(CPC – Barrie-Innisfil, ON)

Official Opposition Critic for Ethics and Accountable Government

John Brassard
Key Interests
Parliamentary Roles

Mr. Brassard is currently serving as the MP for Barrie-Innisfil, as well as the Official Opposition Critic for Ethics and Accountable Government. He previously served as a Member of the Joint Interparliamentary Council from September 2017 to September 2020 and the Official Opposition Deputy Whip from August 2017 to September 2020. He has been a member of several parliamentary associations and inter-parliamentary groups such as the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association (CAEU), the Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group (CAIL), the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association (CANA) and the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group (CEUS), among others.

Notable Committee Memberships
Background

Mr. Brassard was first elected to the House of Commons in October 2015, and was subsequently re- elected in October 2019 and September 2021. Prior to his election to Parliament, he served on the Barrie City Council from November 2006 to November 2015. Mr. Brassard was a firefighter for 30 years and small business owner immediately preceding his election to council.

Issue Specific Background & Social Media

Mr. Brassard has made several statements concerning Afghanistan during this Parliament, most recently on the CPC Opposition Day on December 7, 2021. He is generally critical of the government’s response to the crisis, particularly concerning refugees, CAF veterans who were personally engaged in Kabul to assist Afghan interpreters/Canadian citizens, repatriation and the government’s unwillingness to disclose documentation relating to the crisis.

Mr. Brassard’s most recent statements in Parliament concerned government ethics and accountability, the government’s COVID-19 economic policies, and allegations of fraud. He is very active on Twitter; tweeting about and retweeting posts of other parliamentarians concerning government accountability, alleged fraud violations, his support for CAF veterans and their families, and foreign policy/national security specifically related to China.

Pam Damoff

(LPC – Oakville North-Burlington, ON)

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety

Pam Damoff
Key Interests
Parliamentary Roles

Ms. Damoff is currently serving as the MP for Oakville North-Burlington, as well as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety. She was previously the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services from December 2019 to August 2021, as well as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Heath from February 2019 to September 2019. She has been a member of several parliamentary associations and inter-parliamentary groups such as the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association (CAAF), the Canada-China Legislative Association (CACN), the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group (CEUS), and Member of the Executive of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (UIPU), among others.

Notable Committee Memberships
Background

Ms. Damoff was first elected to the House of Commons in October 2015, and was subsequently re- elected in October 2019 and September 2021. Prior to her election to Parliament, she served on the Oakville Town Council from December 2010 to October 2015. Prior to elected office, Ms. Damoff worked for 25 years in the financial industry, as well as over a decade in self-employment as a consultant. She obtained her BA from the University of Western Ontario (UWO).

Issue Specific Background & Social Media

Ms. Damoff has made no statement relating to Afghanistan in this, or the previous Parliament.

Ms. Damoff’s most recent statements in Parliament concerned public safety (specifically gun control and sentencing), climate change and Indigenous reconciliation. She is active on Twitter; tweeting and re- tweeting fellow parliamentarians on public safety, sentencing and prison reform, indigenous reconciliation, violence against women and women’s rights.

Fayçal El-Khoury

(LPC – Laval-Les ÎLes)

Fayçal El-Khoury
Key Interests
Parliamentary Roles

Mr. El-Khoury is currently serving as the MP for Laval-Les-Îles. He has been a member of several parliamentary associations and inter-parliamentary groups such as the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association (CANA), the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group (CEUS), and as a Member of the Executive of the Canada-France Inter-Parliamentary Association (CAFR).

Notable Committee Memberships
Background

Mr. El-Khoury was first elected to the House of Commons in October 2015, and was subsequently re- elected in October 2019 and September 2021. Prior to his election to Parliament, he was a business consultant with a focus on the Middle East. An engineer by training, Mr. El-Khoury founded and operated his own construction company in his home of Laval, QB. He obtained his degree in civil engineering from Concordia University.

Issue Specific Background & Social Media

Mr. El-Khoury has made no statement relating to Afghanistan in this, or the previous Parliament.

He has a relatively limited number of interventions in the House, in this and previous Parliaments. Mr. El-Khoury’s most recent statements in Parliament concerned public health/immunization, and the COVID-19 pandemic. He has a limited social media presence; while he uses Twitter he predominantly retweets fellow parliamentarians on subjects such as public health measures, the COVID-19 pandemic, Quebec affairs (particularly economic related), small businesses and climate change.

Hon. Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, P.C.

(CPC – South Surrey-White Rock, BC)

Official Opposition Critic for National Defence

Hon. Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, P.C.
Key Interests
Parliamentary Roles

Ms. Findlay is currently serving as the MP for South Surrey-White Rock, as well as the Official Opposition Critic for National Defence. She previously served as the Minister for National Revenue from July 2013 to November 2015, the Associate Minister of National Defence from February 2013 to July 2013 and the Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Justice from May 2011 to February 2013. She has been a member of several parliamentary associations and inter-parliamentary groups such as the Canada-China Legislative Association (CACN), the Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group (CAIL), the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CCOM), and the Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (SECO), among others.

Notable Committee Memberships
Background

Ms. Findlay was first elected to the House of Commons in May 2011, until her defeat in October 2015. She subsequently returned to Parliament in October 2019 and was re-elected in September 2021. A lawyer by training, Ms. Findlay has worked in the Vancouver area in civil litigation, mediation, and family and employment law, amongst others, for over 30 years. She was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1999, and served on the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal from 2006 to 2011. She was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for Service to Canada in 2012. She obtained her BA in history and political, as well as her JD from the University of British Columbia (UBC).

Issue Specific Background & Social Media

Ms. Findlay has made several statements concerning Afghanistan during this Parliament, most recently on the CPC Opposition Day on December 7, 2021. She is generally critical of the government’s response to the crisis, particularly concerning the lack of preparedness and planning, refugees and repatriation, and the lack of military hardware and assets that required Canada to rely on the US military and others.

Ms. Findlay’s most recent statements in Parliament concerned national defence and foreign policy (particularly relating to NATO, Russia and Ukraine), refugees and repatriation, and international cooperation. She is very active on Twitter; tweeting a retweeting fellow parliamentarians on subjects including national defence and foreign policy (particularly relating to Afghanistan, China, NATO, and Russia, among others), public safety and national security (such as terrorism and Huawei/5G), and economic matters and affordability.

Jasraj Singh Hallan

(CPC – Calgary Forest Lawn, AB)

Official Opposition Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Jasraj Singh Hallan
Key Interests
Parliamentary Roles

Mr. Singh Hallan is currently serving as the MP for Calgary Forest Lawn, as well as the Official Opposition Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. He has been a member of several parliamentary associations and inter-parliamentary groups such as the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association (CAAF), the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group (CAJP), and as a Member of the Executive of the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CCOM), among others.

Notable Committee Memberships
Background

Mr. Singh Hallan was first elected to the House of Commons in October 2019, and was subsequently re- elected in September 2021. Prior to his election to Parliament, he was a small business owner, and operated a home construction business in the Calgary area. He obtained a degree in accounting from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT).

Issue Specific Background & Social Media

Mr. Singh Hallan has made several statements concerning Afghanistan during this Parliament, most recently on the CPC Opposition Day on December 7, 2021. He is generally critical of the government’s response to the crisis, particularly concerning refugees, repatriation, human rights (religious and women’s rights), and the backlogs in bureaucracy that have caused delays.

Mr. Singh Hallan’s most recent statements in Parliament concerned Afghanistan, refugees and repatriation, citizenship and immigration, bureaucratic backlogs, and Canada-U.S. relations. He is very active on Twitter; tweeting and re-tweeting fellow parliamentarians on subjects such as immigration and citizenship (backlogs and reform), Afghanistan (refugees and repatriation), veterans affairs, and religious rights.

Maninder Sidhu

(LPC – Brampton East, ON)

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Maninder Sidhu
Key Interests
Parliamentary Roles

Mr. Sidhu is currently serving as the MP for Brampton East, as well as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was previously the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development from March 2021 to August 2021. He has been a member of several parliamentary associations and inter-parliamentary groups such as the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association (CAAF), the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association (CAEU), the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association (CANA), and the Canada-United Inter-Parliamentary Group (CEUS), among others.

Notable Committee Memberships
Background

Mr. Sidhu was first elected to the House of Commons in October 2019, and was subsequently re-elected in September 2021. Prior to his election to Parliament, he was a small business owner in the customs brokerage industry. He also founded The Kindness Movement, a registered not-for-profit that that supports students in both Canada and India. He was educated at the University of Waterloo.

Issue Specific Background & Social Media

Mr. Sidhu has made no statement relating to Afghanistan in this, or the previous Parliament.

He has a relatively limited number of interventions in the House, in this and previous Parliaments. Mr. Sidhu’s most recent statements in Parliament concerned foreign policy (the Indo-Pacific region), the COVID-19 pandemic, international development and aid, public transit/electric vehicles and international trade. He is active on Twitter; tweeting and retweeting fellow parliamentarians on subjects such as public health/COVID-19, international development, childcare and affordability, and Afghanistan (specifically regarding refugees and repatriation).

Salma Zahid

(LPC – Scarborough Centre, ON)

Salma Zahid
Key Interests
Parliamentary Roles

Ms. Zahid is currently serving as the MP for Scarborough Centre. She has been a member of several parliamentary associations and inter-parliamentary groups such as the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association (CAAF), the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association (CANA), and a Member of the Executive of the Canada-Germany Interparliamentary Group (CADE), and the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CCOM), among others.

Notable Committee Memberships
Background

Ms. Zahid was first elected to the House of Commons in October 2015, and was subsequently re-elected in October 2019 and September 2021. Prior to her election to Parliament, she was a public servant in the Government of Ontario and a community organizer, and was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for Meritorious Community Service in 2012. She obtained her MA in educational management from the Institute of Education at the University of London, and her MBA from Quaid e Azam University in Pakistan.

Issue Specific Background & Social Media

Ms. Zahid has made several statements concerning Afghanistan during this Parliament, most recently on the CPC Opposition Day on December 7, 2021. As a member of the governing party, she is generally supportive of the government’s response to the crisis, particularly concerning the number of Afghan refugees already settled in Canada (including those especially vulnerable; LGBT, women, children, and ethnic/religious minorities), the effort of the public service in addressing the crisis as well as the government’s target of 40,000 refugees.

Ms. Zahid’s most recent statements in Parliament concerned affordable housing, Afghanistan (refugees, repatriation and immigration), and human/civil rights. She is active on Twitter; tweeting and re-tweeting fellow parliamentarians on subjects such as citizenship and immigration, the resettlement of refugees, human rights and religious freedoms (particularly in relation to Bill 21 in Quebec) and affordable housing.

Briefing Notes

Afghanistan-Related Q&A – Recent MINE and MINA Committee Appearances*

*and proposed answers if asked similar questions

Afghanistan-Related Questions for MINE at the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, March 3

  1. MP Stéphane Bergeron (BQ): The fear of being prosecuted under the Canadian Criminal Code is one of the difficulties currently faced by Canadian organizations operating in Afghanistan, given the Taliban de facto government are a listed terrorist entity. What do you think about the legitimate concern of NGOs, who need to be assured that they have to do business with a government that is classified as a terrorist government by Canada?
  1. MP Randeep Sarai (LPC): Can you share with us what you learned from your experience in Afghanistan on what they need humanitarian-wise and how Canada is helping provide that?
  1. MP Michael Chong (CPC): In December 2021, the UNSC adopted a resolution which exempts humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan from UN Security Council sanctions, namely UN Resolution 1988, allowing member states to provide humanitarian aid to the Afghan people. Can you tell us how you have implemented that here in Canada, while at the same time ensuring that the money doesn't fall into the hands of the Taliban government?
  1. MP Stéphane Bergeron (BQ): How does Global Affairs Canada coordinate with IRCC to deliver humanitarian actions in relation to contexts such as Afghanistan and Ukraine?

Afghanistan-Related Questions at Committee of the Whole for MINA

  1. MP Chong (CPC): Qatar has a unique and special relationship with the Taliban – has the government demarched with the state of Qatar to request that they intervene with the Taliban to allow persecuted minorities and Afghans that have assisted Canadian soldiers, to leave the country?
  1. MP Singh Hallan (CPC): Plan to evacuate 40,000 Afghan refugees to Canada. What is the plan to bring the remaining Afghan refugees to Canada? Applicants to the Special Immigration Measures only receive automated responses. When will all 40,000 refugees be brought into Canada?
  1. MP Singh Hallan (CPC): Vulnerable groups (religious minority groups, women’s rights leaders, LGBTQ+ community) have sought shelter in safe houses but they are running out of funds. Will the government be providing support to these safe houses?
  1. MP Singh Hallan (CPC): How many Afghan interpreters applied for refugee status before Kabul fell? How many have settled since Kabul fell?
  1. MP Pierre Paul-Hus (CPC): Does Canada have good relations with the United States? Does this mean we share information? Can the Minister confirm that the government knew when the Americans were going to leave Afghanistan? Was the Minister involved/did she know the Americans were going to leave Afghanistan months beforehand?
  1. MP Pierre Paul-Hus (CPC): How many Canadians were left in Afghanistan after August 31? 1290/1280 Canadians are still there. Do we know how many interpreters are still stuck in Afghanistan or Pakistan waiting for their turn?
  1. MP Pierre Paul-Hus (CPC): Afghanistan: The government has decided on 40,000 Afghans coming to Canada. Why is that the number? Do we have the resources in Canada to welcome 40,000 Afghans? When will the 40,000 arrive in Canada?
  1. MP Pierre Paul-Hus (CPC): How many Canadians are imprisoned by the Taliban?
  1. MP Pierre Paul-Hus (CPC): Why has the refugee program changed its criteria saying that there is a difference between those inside and outside of Afghanistan?
  1. MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay (CPC): Dialogue in the last 3 months with the Taliban government with regards to the release of our Afghan friends and allies?
  1. MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay (CPC): Who are the government’s regional partners?

Canada’s Engagement in Afghanistan: 2001 to 2021

Supplementary messages

Background

Development Assistance

Since 2001, Canada has provided nearly $3.9 billion in international assistance to the country. Afghanistan has been Canada’s largest bilateral country program for several years, with a $90 million annual allocation of development assistance. Canada made substantial contributions through development and humanitarian assistance, military support, police training, rule of law reform, demining, public financial management and reform, service delivery, human rights and women’s rights advocacy, and diplomatic engagement with Afghan leaders and the international community. Canada, along with other donors and the Afghan Government, contributed to fundamental changes in Afghan society, including a major expansion of primary education enrolment rates for girls, improvements in health care and immunization, a fourteen-year increase in life expectancy, a vibrant and open media, the formation and strengthening of state security forces and the establishment of democratic institutions. A generation of men and women in Afghanistan have participated in democratic political processes and enjoyed a free and vibrant media. These gains cannot be easily reversed.

All Canadian development assistance is delivered through third parties (trust funds or trusted implementing partners). Following the Taliban takeover, most international assistance programs in Afghanistan were paused by partners, with the exception of humanitarian assistance. At the same time, like-minded donors increasingly acknowledge humanitarian assistance is not enough to stave off high needs and avoid both a humanitarian catastrophe and further economic collapse. Currently, Canada is assessing options with regards to programming and some existing development assistance has been able to resume.

Humanitarian Assistance

Between 2014 and 2020, Canada provided a total of $129.7 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. Recognizing significant needs, Canada has allocated $106 million in humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan and neighbouring countries since August 2021, with the most recent contribution of $56M announced on December 21, 2021. Funding will be delivered through the UN and other established humanitarian partners with operational capacity to respond to these needs.

Security Assistance

Canada contributed over $600 million in bilateral security support to Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021. Security sector support was provided through the NATO-managed Afghanistan National Army Trust Fund and the UNDP-managed Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan. Both of these trust funds have paused all operations since the Taliban takeover and are in the process of closing down.

40,000 Canadians served in the NATO mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014, making it the largest Canadian military deployment since the World War II. 158 Canadian Forces members and one Canadian diplomat died during this time.

Afghanistan today: political, economic, humanitarian and security

Update

The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021. The overall situation is deteriorating, with a worsening economic and humanitarian crisis, and an increase in political repression and human rights violations. The security situation remains stable, overall.

Background

Political situation: The Taliban are struggling to transform themselves into an organization capable of governing a country. They have neither the ability nor the capacity to do so. The Taliban’s interim Cabinet was announced in September 2021 and is comprised mostly of sanctioned hardline religious and military Pashtun figures. Its Cabinet and ministries largely exclude members of other ethnic groups, and excludes women, and former leaders from the Republic. There are also signs of division within the Taliban ranks.

Economic situation: The short term economic outlook for Afghanistan is highly pessimistic. The UNDP forecasts that Afghanistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) will contract by 20% within a year following Taliban takeover, and the decline is expected to worsen by 30% in the following years. Inflation, the price of basic goods and unemployment continue to rise exponentially. The World Bank data indicates that the Afghan currency has appreciated up to 13% against the US dollar. Poverty has become near universal, projected to hit 97% next year. The shrinking Afghan economy, the loss of international development assistance, and the continuation of sanctions against the Taliban will likely push more people toward illegal activities.

Humanitarian situation: The economic crisis, global pandemic, and winter are contributing to a rapidly worsening humanitarian situation. It is projected that over 24 million people will require humanitarian assistance in 2022, compared to 18.4 million in 2021. In particular, Afghans continue to experience increased food insecurity and significant protection needs. If left unresolved, it could result in increased migration to neighbouring countries.

Security situation: Overall, the security situation remains stable. Taliban counter- terrorism efforts have been successful at preventing large-scale attacks since November 2021. However, smaller attacks from various groups against the Taliban are increasing throughout the country. Al-Qaeda has become more active in Afghanistan and the Taliban have shown little desire to contain them. There has also been an alarming rise of forced disappearances and arrests, especially of human rights activists and media workers. There is a high risk of Afghanistan becoming, once again, a haven for transnational terrorists and remaining a source of illicit drugs.

Humanitarian response in Afghanistan

Supplementary messages

Supporting facts and figures

Background

Prior to the Taliban takeover in August, 18.4 million people in Afghanistan were in need of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan. The scale of humanitarian needs is increasing, and it estimated that 24 million Afghans will require humanitarian assistance in 2022.

Humanitarian needs in Afghanistan cut across all sectors, with food and nutrition, and protection needs of particular concern. Needs have typically been driven by conflict, drought, COVID-19, food insecurity and displacement. The ongoing economic challenges inside Afghanistan risk further exacerbating the vulnerability of those in need of assistance.

Canada has supported a multi-sectoral humanitarian response across Afghanistan, including a particular emphasis on the provision of life-saving food and nutrition assistance.

In 2022, Canada has allocated a total $143 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. This includes the additional $50 million announced on March 31, 2022.

International response to the crisis in Afghanistan

Supplementary messages

Background

Following the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul on August 15, 2021, Canada and allies closed embassies in Kabul due to the deteriorating security situation. Eighteen likeminded countries, as well as the EU, now have representatives for Afghanistan based in Doha, where they coordinate on a joint international response to the crisis in Afghanistan and engage informally with the Taliban. The EU, Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K., Norway and Japan have undertaken brief visits to Kabul to meet with the Taliban. Many regional countries maintain embassies in Kabul, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Russia, Pakistan and China. The EU has reopened minimal operations in Kabul to support the coordination and delivery of humanitarian aid.

Overall, while there are predictable geo-strategic divisions, there is general agreement within the international community on the importance of: humanitarian access; inclusive governance; respect for women and girls’ rights; stability, countering and controlling irregular migration and narcotics flow; and, counter- terrorism. International donors are considering how to apply values-based conditionality to development assistance. [REDACTED].

The UN's 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Afghanistan – including a September 2021 Flash Appeal – requested nearly US$1.5 billion and intended to reach 17.7 million Afghans. Canada was the 8th largest single-country donor to the plan, with a total commitment of CA$133M. Top donors include the US (US$474M pledged for 2021 with an additional US$308M announced in January 2022), Germany (total of EUR 600M pledged in 2021), the EU (EUR 268M in 2021) and the UK (total of GBP 286M pledged in 2021).

The 2022 Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan and the Afghanistan Situation Regional Refugee Response Plan were officially launched by the UN on January 11, 2022; combined, the plans request over US$5 billion. As of March 11, according to UN Financial Tracking Services, 13% of the HRP was funded (US$570 million) and Canada is the 3rd largest single-country donor to the plan, having made a contribution of US$59.3M early in the calendar year.

Following the Taliban takeover, most like-minded countries paused their bilateral aid programs beyond humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan. There are, however, instances of commitment to longer-term development cooperation.

Likewise, the World Bank-administered Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, to which Canada and many likeminded countries are donors, is resuming some support to education, health, and livelihoods.

In response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation, the UN Security Council passed a temporary exemption on UNSC sanctions on December 22, 2021, allowing humanitarian assistance and other activities that support basic human needs to continue unimpeded.

Engagement with the Taliban

Supplementary messages

Background

On August 15 2021, the Government of Canada announced that it had temporarily suspended operations at the Canadian Embassy in Kabul due to the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, which posed serious challenges to our ability to ensure the safety and security of our mission and mission personnel. The Canadian embassy will resume its operations when security and political conditions in Afghanistan permit.

Canada does not recognize the Taliban as the legitimate Government of Afghanistan. The Taliban remain a listed terrorist entity under Canadian law. Canada expects any government of Afghanistan to fulfill its obligations to uphold the human rights of all its citizens, as required by international law.

Canada engages the Taliban informally through our Senior Official for Afghanistan, appointed in August 2021 and based in Doha, Qatar. Discussions and developments continue to move at a rapid pace and it is vital to Canadian interests that Canada be part of these ongoing discussions, many of which involve like-minded and other key stakeholders.

Canada engages the Taliban informally to convey key messages: calling on the Taliban to ensure safe passage of Canadians, foreign nationals and Afghans approved through our Special Immigration Program; to ensure timely humanitarian access to mitigate a humanitarian and refugee crisis; to respect its international human rights obligations, including the protection of fundamental rights of women, girls and other vulnerable groups; to form an inclusive and representative government; and, to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe- haven for terrorism.

Canada’s development assistance in Afghanistan has been explicitly framed within the Feminist International Assistance Policy. Following the Taliban takeover, much of the international community, including Canada, paused most international assistance programs in Afghanistan. In response to the humanitarian crisis, Canada significantly increased its humanitarian assistance support, announcing more than $133M in assistance in 2021. Consideration of future development assistance that goes beyond meeting basic human needs of the Afghan people will be weighed against the Taliban’s actions to adhere to and    protect the fundamental rights of all its citizens, and form an inclusive and representative government.

Development programming in Afghanistan

Supplementary messages

Supporting facts and figures

Background

The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021. Canada is deeply concerned by the dire humanitarian crisis and violations of human rights by the Taliban authorities. We continue to use every forum available to urge the de facto authorities to uphold international human rights obligations. Canada engages the Taliban informally through the Senior Official for Afghanistan in Doha.

Canada’s priorities in Afghanistan remain:

  1. safe passage of Canadians, foreign nationals and Afghans;
  2. humanitarian access;
  3. continuing to advocate for inclusive and representative governance and respect for fundamental rights, including for women, girls and other vulnerable groups; and,
  4. counter-terrorism cooperation.

The international community agrees that humanitarian assistance is not enough to stave off the growing needs and avoid economic collapse. However, there is no consensus on how strictly longer-term assistance should be conditioned as an incentive for behaviour change from the Taliban on respect for basic rights, notably those for women, girls and ethnic minorities. Donors have welcomed the work of the World Bank-administered Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund and the Asian Development Bank to provide funding for essential basic services, such as education, food security and health, delivered through trusted UN partners. At the same time, the World Bank, in close consultation with donors, is exploring strong gender-based conditions attached to all of its programming.

Currently, Canada is assessing options with regards to programming and some existing development assistance has been able to resume. Our development assistance in Afghanistan has been explicitly framed within the Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP).

Humanitarian Assistance

Recognizing the significant and growing needs, Canada has announced over $106 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan since August 2021. This includes $56 million announced on December 21, 2021 in response to emergency appeals for 2022 to be delivered by trusted partners.

Implications of Sanctions and Criminal Code Listings

As a listed terrorist organisation, the Taliban’s takeover of the government of Afghanistan has significantly changed the aid operating context, making it more complex to carry out humanitarian, development assistance, and other related activities in the country without risk of contravening the Canadian Criminal Code.

The issue of how to deliver international assistance in Afghanistan in a way that doesn’t benefit the Taliban, directly or indirectly, is top of mind for the Government of Canada. Canada is unique in its level of constraint and is exploring solutions in order to be able to provide assistance to vulnerable Afghans, while balancing safeguards against terrorist financing.

Sanctions and Criminal Code listing

Supplementary messages

Background

UN Sanctions: Canada implements its UN obligations related to the Taliban through the United Nations Act and the United Nations Al-Qaida and Taliban Regulations (UNAQTR). The UNAQTR prohibit Canadians from dealing in the assets of specified persons associated with the Taliban (‘listed persons’); from making property or financial services available to listed persons; and from supplying selling or transferring arms and technical assistance to them. Penalties for offences may include fines of up to $100,000 or up to ten years’ imprisonment.

Exemption certificates to these prohibitions may be issued by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, when deemed justified, and when the exemption has received advance approval from the UN Security Council (UNSC). In December, the UNSC issued an exemption for humanitarian assistance and other activities that support basic human needs from sanctions imposed by the UN related to the Taliban.

Criminal Code:   In 2013, the Government of Canada listed the Taliban as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code. The Criminal Code carries a wide range of prohibitions and significant consequences to deter terrorist activity in Canada, or support from Canada.

Pursuant to paragraph 83.03(b) of the Criminal Code, it is a crime to directly or indirectly, collect property, provide, invite a person to provide, or make available property (including funding) or financial or other related services, knowing that, in whole or in part, they will be used by, or will benefit a terrorist group. A terrorist group is defined in Criminal Code in two ways: (i) an entity that has as one of its purposes or activities facilitating or carrying out any terrorist activity, or (ii) a listed entity, and includes an association of such entities.

There is currently no existing mechanism to provide exemptions from the anti- terrorism prohibitions of paragraph 83.03(b) for humanitarian or any other activity.

A listed entity’s assets are also frozen and can be subject to future seizure and restraint, and even forfeiture. Canadians are prohibited from dealing with property of listed entities. Financial institutions are also subject to reporting requirements and must not allow those entities to access the property. Penalties for offences may include fines of up to $100,000 or up to ten years’ imprisonment.

Humanitarian Assistance: Canada has allocated over $235 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan since 2014. This includes $27.3 million allocated early in 2021, $50 million announced in August (Afghanistan and region) and $56 million announced on 21 December.

Canada has found ways to deliver on its humanitarian assistance commitments through experienced humanitarian partners, such as United Nations agencies and the ICRC, and has strong counter-terrorism provisions in its contractual agreements with its partners. Not all organisations are able to provide the assurances Canada needs to avoid criminal liability, limiting Canada`s choices of both partners and activities.

The Government of Canada is actively engaged with its partners to ensure programming is designed to avoid the provision of direct or indirect benefits – such as monetary benefits - to terrorist groups. This could include the funding of select activities and additional assurances that Canadian funds will not be used to support activities that are subject to taxation, which could be directed toward the Taliban-controlled Government of Afghanistan. These measures may be difficult to maintain going forward, and Canada may find its options to engage are increasingly limited.

Special Committee on Afghanistan – Sanctions/Criminal Code Q&A

  1. How has Canada’s domestic counter-terrorism legislation impacted Canada’s ability to support the delivery of humanitarian aid?
  1. How is Canada still able to deliver humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan despite the counter-terrorism provisions in the Criminal Code?
  1. Can the Government of Canada engage with the Taliban, despite the group being listed as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code?
  1. The US has provided licenses to authorize humanitarian assistance and other activities to support the people of Afghanistan, exempting these activities from their sanctions regime. Can Canada provide a similar exemption to Canadian NGOs and financial institutions with respect to our sanctions and Criminal Code provisions?
  1. We have heard that organizations need certainty with regard to criminal liability in order to continue their operations in Afghanistan and to have financial institutions process transfers. What is the Government of Canada doing to further facilitate the provision of assistance to the people of Afghanistan?
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