Canada must decriminalize aid to Afghanistan to save lives

As a country with an admirable Feminist International Assistance Policy that claims to value helping those most in need, we need Canada’s government to act now to join our allies in making sure that Afghan women, children, and civilians do not pay the price of inaction with their lives.

Conflict, COVID-19 and climate change have pushed millions of people in Afghanistan to the edge of starvation. Today, Canadian organizations of diverse backgrounds, faiths, and creeds have had enough. We have united in launching the ‘Aid for Afghanistan’ public campaign to remove these barriers, including the amendment of the Criminal Code, to allow humanitarian organizations to resume their programs. To date, the Government of Canada has not provided assurances to minimize Canadian humanitarian organizations’ risks, write Asuntha Charles and Reyhana Patel. Photograph courtesy of Herat, Afghanistan/World Vision

Opinion

BY ASUNTHA CHARLES AND REYHANA PATEL

August 11, 2022

It’s been almost a year since the Taliban took over Afghanistan. Before that, Afghanistan was already a country where 19.7 million people faced severe food

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