During a surprise visit to Iraq earlier this month, Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced an additional 139 million Canadian dollars ($113 million) in humanitarian assistance to countries affected by the crises in Iraq and Syria, of which CA$39 million will go to Baghdad. An additional CA$23 million was announced in support of development initiatives in Iraq.
The renewed aid package came weeks after Harper introduced a motion in Parliament to extend Canada’s participation in the military operation against the Islamic State group for up to 12 months. Further, in 2014, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development made Iraq a “development partner country” for bilateral assistance.
DFATD’s “whole-of-government” approach in Iraq, where humanitarian, development, security and diplomacy tools are being used simultaneously, resembles Canada’s past involvement in Afghanistan in many ways, and not just because both countries are Middle Eastern fragile states. Recent declarations by Minister of Foreign Affairs Rob Nicholson indicate the government is looking at Afghanistan as an example to replicate in Iraq.