TORONTO, 19 June 2003 — The International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF), a Toronto-based Muslim humanitarian organization, has donated C$20,000 towards Care Canada’s development efforts in post-war Iraq.
The donation will help address some of the critical water, health and food needs of Iraqis, according to an IDRF spokesperson Penny Fancy.
Care Canada is the only international non-governmental organization (NGO) that has worked continuously in the center and south of Iraq since the Gulf War in 1991. It has also helped restore basic services in Baghdad, particularly in the health care sector.
IDRF provides relief, rehabilitation and development assistance to countries in need, with a focus on health, education, access to clean water, and micro-credit for women, and like CARE, prefers to work with local partners. When war broke out recently, the organization wished to provide aid to Iraqis, and decided to donate to Care Canada because of its established presence and experience there.
“When we saw that Care Canada was involved in providing water and health care it appealed to us,” said Penny Fancy, who is also IDRF’s communications director. “Also, many of our constituents in Canada are particularly concerned about the shortage of aid to central and southern Iraq, where Care Canada works, and we felt those areas needed the help most.”
Care, through its Iraq office, worked continuously throughout the war, distributing basic goods to hospitals and health care centers and repairing water installations around the country and in Baghdad. In addition, Care will be starting assessments for all schools for the deaf in Iraq this week. There are 22 such schools in Iraq, including seven in Baghdad.
