Wednesday, March 18, 2026
ADVT 
National

More than 5,000 Canadians have fled Middle East, Anand says demand for help dropping

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Mar, 2026 09:35 AM
  • More than 5,000 Canadians have fled Middle East, Anand says demand for help dropping

Global Affairs Canada says it has helped more than 5,000 Canadians leave the Middle East since the latest conflict began, and demand for evacuation support is now falling off.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is urging Canadians thinking of leaving the Middle East to do so and says the number of daily calls for help is now half what it was last week.

Her department says more than 4,300 Canadians, permanent residents and their relatives fleeing the region arrived in Canada between March 4 and March 8, through direct and indirect routes.

Another 871 people left the region for a safe third country such as Turkey, according to Global Affairs Canada.

As of Sunday, less than five per cent of the nearly 110,000 Canadians registered in the region had sought help to leave.

Global Affairs Canada says it is not aware of any Canadians killed or injured in the violence that started with American airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28.

Picture Courtesy: AP Photo/Vahid Salemi

MORE National ARTICLES

Budget signals lower increases to health transfers, end of funding deals

Budget signals lower increases to health transfers, end of funding deals
The federal budget signals there is no room for the premiers to negotiate for more health-care funding in the coming years, one economist says - and the Ontario government is calling for that to change.

Budget signals lower increases to health transfers, end of funding deals

Carney government reduces savings targets for some departments, agencies

Carney government reduces savings targets for some departments, agencies
Eight fewer departments and agencies are being asked to slash their budgets at least 15 per cent over the next three years, a move one economist says shows Ottawa's cost cutting exercise was not "thought through."

Carney government reduces savings targets for some departments, agencies

Premiers lay out priorities for meeting with Carney next week

Premiers lay out priorities for meeting with Carney next week
Canada's premiers say infrastructure investments and the state of U.S.-Canada trade negotiations are high on their agenda for an upcoming meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Premiers lay out priorities for meeting with Carney next week

B.C. falls silent at Remembrance Day services, where family ties hold strong

B.C. falls silent at Remembrance Day services, where family ties hold strong
Remembrance Day services across British Columbia fell silent for two minutes to honour the sacrifice of war and military veterans, with some attendees reflecting on traditions of service running through their families. 

B.C. falls silent at Remembrance Day services, where family ties hold strong

'Everybody's gone': Canadians mark sombre Remembrance Day as number of vets dwindles

'Everybody's gone': Canadians mark sombre Remembrance Day as number of vets dwindles
Eight decades after the end of the deadliest military conflict in history, Canadians paused for Remembrance Day ceremonies Tuesday to honour those who put their lives on the line for their country.

'Everybody's gone': Canadians mark sombre Remembrance Day as number of vets dwindles

Affordability gap leaves Liberal budget with middling reviews: Leger poll

Affordability gap leaves Liberal budget with middling reviews: Leger poll
New polling suggests Canadians had a lukewarm response to the federal budget released last week — leading one pollster to argue all parties should think twice before mounting an election campaign over the spending plan.

Affordability gap leaves Liberal budget with middling reviews: Leger poll