CANADEM

Published purpose

In 2005, the humanitarian community undertook an independent review to assess the humanitarian response capacities of United Nations agencies, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, non-governmental organizations and other humanitarian actors. One of the challenges identified by the review was the low-level of preparedness for rapid response, specifically in terms of qualified and easily deployable humanitarian experts. To enhance the timeliness, reliability and effectiveness of international responses to humanitarian crises, CIDA, through CANADEM, is developing and maintaining a roster of highly qualified Canadian disaster relief and humanitarian experts to be rapidly deployed to international humanitarian agencies responding to rapid-onset crises. The purpose of the CANADEM project is to deploy Canadian experts to natural disasters or conflict zones in the immediate aftermath of a crisis.