Canada to match Pakistan flood donations

In a move welcomed by aid groups, the Canadian government has announced that it will match private donations to registered charities for relief efforts in Pakistan. The fund-matching initiative is valid for donations between Aug. 2 and Sept. 12, and comes in addition to the $33 million the federal government has already committed to relief efforts. “For every eligible donation by individual Canadians to Canadian registered charities and earmarked for efforts to assist Pakistan relief efforts, Canada will contribute an equivalent amount to the Pakistan Floods Relief Fund,” House leader John Baird told reporters Sunday. The floods have killed nearly 2,000 people and left six million Pakistanis homeless, according to the latest United Nations estimates.