CBC Lite Sections News • Canada • Toronto Toronto endorses fundraising efforts for people affected by fighting in Lebanon: Chow Muriel Draaisma, Arrthy Thayaparan | CBC News | Posted: April 17, 2026 7:57 PM | Last Updated: Just now City has linked to 2 charities' fundraising efforts for humanitarian support on DonateTO site, mayor says Image | Ont-Toronto-Budget 20240201 Caption: The City of Toronto has endorsed fundraising efforts by two charities for people affected by the conflict in Lebanon by hosting links on the DonateTo webpage, said Mayor Olivia Chow. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press) (BUTTON) Load image Open image in new tab The City of Toronto is endorsing fundraising efforts by two charities for people affected by the conflict in Lebanon, announced Mayor Olivia Chow on Thursday. The city's DonateTO webpage now hosts links to fundraising efforts by two organizations, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Canadian Red Cross, that residents can choose to donate to, said Chow. "What has happened in Lebanon, breaks our hearts," said Chow, adding millions of people have been displaced and thousands wounded in the conflict in Lebanon. Since March 2, renewed fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group inside Lebanon has killed more than 2,100 people, according to Lebanon's health ministry. The fighting has caused more than 1.2 million people to flee their homes. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire. His announcement came shortly after Chow made her endorsement. Hezbollah's media office issued a statement saying any ceasefire must not allow Israel freedom of movement within Lebanon and that the presence of Israeli troops on Lebanese territory granted the "right to resist." The group outright rejected talks between the two countries earlier this week. WATCH | Trump announced ceasefire between Israel, Lebanon on Thursday night: Media Video | Caption: U.S. President Donald Trump posted on TruthSocial that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire beginning at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday. At the same time, White House officials say they're prepared to resume war with Iran if it doesn't agree to the U.S.'s terms Open full embed in new tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. Chow said Toronto has a vibrant Lebanese community and its resilience is not only inspiring, but also a gift to the city. "When something this devastating happens to people you love, people back home, you face a choice. You can feel the weight of it and give up, or you can do what this community has done. You can come together," she said. "You can turn grief into action ... the people of Toronto will not look away." * Trump announces Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, but major disputes remain * Toronto residents with family in Lebanon fear for loved ones amid Israeli bombing It's necessary to see a city stepping up to help people in crisis, said Sana Bég, executive director of MSF Canada. It's not typical for the MSF to ask for funding or support, but the unraveling situation is more than the organization can handle right now, she said. "What is unfolding in the larger Middle East today, in Lebanon specifically, it's not something our existing operations can absorb without consequence. The needs are indeed that large," she said. Hezbollah is a Lebanon-based Shia militant group that also has a political wing. It formed in 1982 primarily to combat occupying Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. The name means "party of God" in Arabic. It's considered a terrorist organization by Canada, the U.S. and other countries. 'Dire humanitarian crisis' in Lebanon: organization founder Support has never been more urgent in Lebanon given the "dire humanitarian crisis" there, said Abbis Mahmoud, founder of Canada for Lebanon. The group connects charities and government agencies with trusted organizations on the ground in the Middle East. The Lebanese people have been "coping" with the fallout of conflicts for many years now, not just the recent escalation, said Kelsey Lemon, Red Cross Canada's vice president of international cooperation. Red Cross teams are working around the clock in dangerous situations, she said. Two Lebanese Red Cross paramedics were killed this year "while carrying out their humanitarian duties," Lemon said. WATCH | Lebanon has banned Hezbollah's military activities, says former ambassador: Media Video | Caption: Former Canadian ambassador to Israel Jon Allen says truce is 'key part' to U.S. President Trump's future negotiations with Iran. He also highlights the importance of Lebanon's ban on Hezbollah's military activities, as well as the government's willingness to hold talks with its Israeli counterparts. Open full embed in new tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. MSF's Bég said the organization has been working in Lebanon since 1976 and that they're "deeply alarmed" by the current situation. The organization launched an emergency response nationwide after March 2, said Bég. "Our teams looked at what was in front of us and what we witnessed and realized our ordinary toolkit was simply not enough to meet the needs," she said. * Blockade on Iran will continue, Trump says, after Iran says it will reopen Strait of Hormuz * 1 killed in Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on 1st full day of ceasefire deal The organization has provided various supports since then, including donating fuel to hospitals, running 20 mobile clinics and offering mental health services. Bég recounted the experience of one MSF doctor last week after a nearby residential building was hit in a strike. It led to the death of eight children, she said. More Stories Like This The related links below are generated automatically based on the story you’ve just read. Loading... CBC Lite is a low-bandwidth website. To see what's new, check out our release notes. For high quality images, media, comments, and other additional features visit the full version of this story. 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