June 13, 2025
The Right Honourable Mark Carney
Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister
The Honourable Anita Anand, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Subject: Ongoing Crisis in Gaza
Dear Prime Minister Carney and Minister Anand,
On behalf of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU), I would like to express that Canada’s nurses are horrified by the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, where the vast majority of the traumatized population is now facing acute hunger through the forced starvation policy of the Israeli government.
On Friday, June 6, 1,200 nurses from across the country gathered in Niagara Falls for the CFNU’s biennial convention, where delegates passed an emergency resolution calling on the CFNU to “issue a public statement welcoming Global Affairs Canada’s position and urge the Government of Canada to take all possible diplomatic actions to end the starvation of Palestinians in Gaza.”
In keeping with that resolution, we welcome the comments made by Global Affairs Canada on June 4, including the statement that, “Canada is deeply alarmed by reports of mass deaths and injuries of Palestinians, as well as ongoing scenes of chaos and appalling conditions as people in Gaza attempt to access limited aid.” We commend the Government of Canada for this strong and principled statement, which was subsequently echoed by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and other humanitarian voices.
As your government hosts the G7 in Kananaskis this week, we are now urging you to seize this global moment to take all possible diplomatic measures to end the starvation of Palestinians in Gaza. This includes actions the CFNU has already called for, including imposing a two-way arms embargo on Israel, doing more to achieve a ceasefire, publicly calling on the Israeli government to reverse the ban on UNRWA, demanding unhindered access to deliveries of humanitarian services and supplies to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, supporting the release of all hostages and pushing for a lasting peace based on adherence with international law.
As nurses and health care workers, we stand up for peace and justice globally, and we know many Canadians believe in our government’s role in that pursuit. We urge you to use the G7 meetings as an opportunity to use every diplomatic tool at your disposal to help save innocent lives in Gaza.
Sincerely,
Linda Silas,
President, CFNU