Canada investigating possibility of aid airdrop into Gaza, minister says

Canada is looking into playing a role in apossible airdrop of aid into Gaza, says International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen.

In an interview withCBC Radio'sThe HouseairingSaturday, Hussen said countries like the Netherlands and United Kingdom have collaborated already with the Jordanian air force on similar actions, and Canada islooking at the "possibility and feasibility" of doing the same.

"It's something we're seriously considering and looking at the feasibility of doing ... because you know, we have to do everything we can to avert mass starvation in northern Gaza and beyond," he told host Catherine Cullen.

Hussen recently travelled to Jordan and the Egyptian border with Gaza. He described what he saw near Gaza as a "really dire situation."

The House9:43Canada in talks to send food, medicine to Gaza

Aid groups in Gaza are warning of an absolutely horrific situation as people run out of food and medicine. Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen was at the Egyptian border earlier this week discussing what Canada can do to help. He joins Catherine Cullen to talk about the options on the table.

"People are in a very desperate situation and they're doing desperate things to survive," he said.

Months of violence have followed the events of Oct. 7,when Hamasmilitants attacked Israel,killed approximately 1,200 peopleand took roughly250 others hostage, according to Israeli accounts. Since then, Israeli strikes have killed approximately 29,000 people, according toGaza's Hamas-led health authority.

Humanitarian groups are calling for more aid to be allowed into Gaza to help with an intense and worsening crisis there. The World Food Programme recently suspended aid shipments to northern Gaza, citing "complete chaos and violence due to the collapse of civil order" and warning again about the risk of starvation in the region.

Hussen saida significant amount of aid iswaiting in Egypt and Jordan for deliverybut only a limited amount canbe shipped through the land border to Gaza.

WATCH | Hussen addresses UNRWA allegations:

Canada to support other aid organizations until UNRWA investigation is complete: minister

8 months ago

Duration 10:04

'We await the results of the investigation to make sure that we are satisfied with the results,' says Ahmed Hussen, Canada's minister of international development, on the decision to pause funding for the UN organization supporting people in Gaza.

"There's a big, disproportionate difference between the amount of aid that is pre-positioned in the region ... and the very little that's going in, plus the huge demand and the desperation on the other side in Gaza," he said.

Hussen said the federal government is in "active discussions" with Jordanian officialsabout a possibleaidairdrop.

"We have to look at more volumes [of aid] throughthe existing border crossings,negotiating and advocating for additional points of entry and then looking at other options to deliver aid, including airdrops," he said. "And that's precisely the conversations that I've been having with the Jordanian officials."

Aid funded by the United Kingdom was recently airdropped to a hospital in northern Gaza, while the Netherlands and France also have been involved in airdrop operations.Jordan has dropped aid to a field hospital it runs in Gaza several times since the beginning of the conflict. Israel approved and co-ordinated with a Jordanian drop in November, Reuters reported.

Canada awaiting outcome of UNRWAprobe

In January, the federal government suspended funding to theUnited Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), a key aid agency in Gaza, in response to Israeli claims that members of the organization were involved in the Oct. 7 attack. Ottawaannounced at the time that it was sending an additional $40 million in aid to other humanitariangroups in the region.

CBC News reported earlier this month that Canada had not seen evidence from Israel supporting its claims about UNRWAat the time it made its decision. The United Nations says it is investigating the allegations.

Speaking toThe House, Hussen said he understandsthe role UNRWA playsbut the investigation hasto go forward.

"We will obviously wait for the results of that investigation with thehope that a comprehensive, transparent investigation will return witha result that will provide us, hopefully,with the confidence to to continue to work with UNRWA in the future," he said.