Ashol Deng, originally from Dut and now living in Juba, supports her family through traditional beadwork taught by UNHCR’s MADE51 program. © UNHCR/Ala Kheir
OTTAWA/TORONTO — UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply grateful to The Slaight Family Foundation for a generous $1 million donation to support women and girls displaced by conflict in South Sudan. This two-year grant will help restore and expand essential services that have been severely impacted by global funding cuts.
“Several Canadian organizations are delivering lifesaving international aid in crisis zones like Bangladesh, Yemen and South Sudan, and they need support now more than ever,” said Gary Slaight, President and CEO of The Slaight Family Foundation. “We hope this funding will help sustain access to health care, food, education and protection for the world’s most vulnerable.”
The donation comes at a time of growing need. In early 2025, renewed violence and instability forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes in South Sudan. At the same time, refugees and returnees continue to cross from Sudan into South Sudan, escaping the conflict. South Sudan now hosts over 1.2 million people — the majority women and children — who have fled the brutal conflict in Sudan, placing enormous pressure on already overstretched services. Women and girls are among the most affected, facing high risks of sexual violence, exploitation and abuse.
Due to a dramatic drop in humanitarian funding, 75 per cent of UNHCR-supported safe spaces for women and girls in South Sudan have stopped functioning, leaving up to 80,000 women and girls — including survivors of rape and other forms of violence — without access to medical care, legal aid or psychosocial support.
This donation will help UNHCR:
- Provide specialized care and case management for survivors of gender-based violence, including in remote and hard-to-reach areas
- Distribute dignity kits and menstrual hygiene supplies to thousands of women and girls
- Equip a safe space for women and girls in Juba
- Train frontline staff and partners to improve data collection and survivor support
- Sustain a dedicated protection staff member to coordinate and deliver these services
“This gift comes at a critical moment,” said Tracey Maulfair, UNHCR Representative in Canada. “As humanitarian needs continue to rise and funding declines, this donation will help us protect some of the most vulnerable people in one of the world’s most underfunded crises.”
Despite this critical support, the needs on the ground remain immense.
“Funding cuts are having a devastating impact,” said Marie-Hélène Verney, UNHCR Representative in South Sudan. “This contribution helps us bring back essential services for women and girls, but urgent, flexible funding is still needed for critical activities like registration and civil documentation. We hope this support will inspire broader solidarity with displaced communities across South Sudan.”
The grant is part of a broader initiative by The Slaight Family Foundation to support 13 Canadian and international organizations responding to urgent humanitarian needs around the world.
About UNHCR
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organisation dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution.
We lead international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people.
We deliver life-saving assistance, help safeguard fundamental human rights, and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place called home where they can build a better future. We also work to ensure that stateless people are granted a nationality.
We work in over 130 countries, using our expertise to protect and care for millions.
About The Slaight Family Foundation
The Slaight Family Foundation was established in 2008 by John Allan Slaight. Allan Slaight (1931-2021), known as Canada’s broadcast pioneer, was a leader in the music industry and a prominent Canadian philanthropist. Through his generosity, the Foundation proactively supports charitable initiatives in the areas of healthcare, at-risk youth international development, social services and culture. Allan’s son, Gary Slaight, oversees the foundation as President & CEO, The Slaight Family Foundation.
With this gift, the Foundation has committed over $293M to 14 unique strategic initiatives since its inception. These initiatives include $50 million to five downtown Toronto hospitals to improve health services; $22 million for two initiatives with international NGOs to increase their capacity to address global poverty, the human rights of women and girls, and major diseases and disasters; $11 million to support the healthy development of Canadian children; $12 million to improve the physical, mental and social well-being of Canada’s Indigenous youth; $40 million for emergency food security, mental health supports and research related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; $15 million to support Canadian women and girls; $30 million for community-based seniors initiatives; $15 million to support the revitalization of Toronto’s theatre community; $26.5 million to support youth experiencing mental health issues; $30 million for those suffering from dementia; $30 million to support people living with disabilities; and $13 million to provide emergency support to Canadian NGOs serving the world’s most vulnerable countries.
Media contacts:
- Levon Sevunts, UNHCR Canada, sevunts@unhcr.org, +1-613-286-6975
- Victoria Belton, Media Profile, victoria.belton@mediaprofile.com, 416-997-5179
