The Canadian government has pledged 100 million Canadian dollars (about US$66 million) in aid for the Iraqi people, an official press release said Wednesday.
Canadian International Co-operation Minister Susan Whelan said in the release that the money will go to UN humanitarian agencies, the Red Cross and Care Canada. The money will help provide clean water, food, shelter and health care to Iraqi victims of war.
According to UN World Food Program estimates, many Iraqis have about five weeks of food available to them and about 13 million Iraqis, 60 percent of the population, are completely dependent on food aid.
The United Nations is expected to ask countries around the world to contribute 1 billion US dollars to a food aid program for Iraq.
(Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2003)
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