ReliefAid Canada
ReliefAid Canada is a humanitarian organisation founded in New Zealand and now operating globally, including a Canadian office based in Montréal.
What We Do
Our work is simple: reach families living in conflict zones with life-saving aid – families who have no one else to turn to.
Since 2014, our teams have delivered emergency aid to more than 1.5 million people across Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, and Lebanon. Today, Canadians play a vital role in making this work possible.
Your support goes where it’s needed most: 100% of donations to ReliefAid Canada are used to deliver life-saving aid to families.
Canadian-supported aid reaching families in crisis
Through ReliefAid, supporters across Canada help deliver emergency assistance directly to families on the ground. This includes:
- Clean water distributions for families in Gaza.
- Home-repair materials, winter survival items, and medical support for communities in Ukraine.
- Education support and psychosocial programmes for displaced children in Syria and Afghanistan.
- Safe cooking stoves and essential supplies for displaced families living in camps in Syria.
Every distribution is carried out by our local teams on the frontline, ensuring aid reaches families quickly, safely, and directly.
Learn more about our work in each country on the ReliefAid New Zealand website.
Why Canada Matters
A growing humanitarian hub in North America
ReliefAid’s expansion into Canada has strengthened our ability to raise awareness, build long-term partnerships, and mobilise support for families in conflict zones. From Montréal, we coordinate:
- North American fundraising and partnerships
- Canadian media engagement and advocacy
- Collaboration with Canadian foundations and institutions
- On-the-ground impact projects, including paediatric oncology support in Ukraine through partner Tabletochki
Thanks to pro-bono support from the Cafaro Group, ReliefAid Canada operates at minimal cost – ensuring every donated dollar goes directly to families in need.
Governance
ReliefAid Canada Leadership
Peter Cafaro
Director of Strategic Operations & Board Liaison, ReliefAid Canada
Peter Cafaro leads ReliefAid’s Canadian operations from our Montreal office, driving North American fundraising efforts and playing a pivotal role in expanding ReliefAid’s global reach and impact.
An experienced entrepreneur and respected member of the Montreal business community, Peter has an impressive history of supporting philanthropic initiatives across Canada, South America, and Southeast Asia. In Canada, his efforts have been solely dedicated to funding clinical trials for children’s medical treatments and supporting a major neurological institute in Montreal.
Taking a hands-on approach to ReliefAid’s work, Peter oversees day-to-day operations in Canada while providing strategic oversight for our international aid deliveries. A longstanding major donor to ReliefAid, Peter’s unwavering commitment to addressing the critical humanitarian needs of families, particularly children, was solidified by the onset of the war in Ukraine. Working with our partner Tabletochki, he spearheads fundraising efforts to support children’s oncology departments in Ukrainian hospitals.
Peter’s leadership, dedication, and vision have been instrumental in ensuring life-saving aid reaches families in conflict zones when they need it most.
Board Members
Anton Frima
Board Member – ReliefAid Canada
As a trained civil engineer, Anton started his humanitarian career with Doctors without Borders (MSF) in 2007. In charge of operational logistics both in Somalia and Pakistan, Anton worked side by side with ReliefAid’s founder Mike Seawright in supporting medical emergency programmes.
Mike Seawright
Founder and Executive Director
Since leaving the corporate world behind 17+ years ago, Mike Seawright has been delivering humanitarian assistance to families living in the world’s conflict zones. He has provided medical aid in Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan and Pakistan, economic development and energy projects in Afghanistan and most recently emergency humanitarian aid, leading multiple interventions in Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine.
Support from Cafaro Group
The ReliefAid representative office in Canada has been generously provided pro-bono by our supporter, the Cafaro Group. This invaluable support has enabled us to operate efficiently and focus our resources on delivering aid.
How to Donate
Supporting ReliefAid is easy – find out how you can support our work.
Your contributions are vital in helping us continue our work and make a difference in the lives of those affected by conflict and disaster.
Alternatively, please contact us to make a donation through other channels.
All funds will be transferred to ReliefAid New Zealand.
