Norway is increasing its humanitarian support for victims of the ongoing war in the Middle East by allocating an additional NOK 25 million (around USD 2.5 million) from its humanitarian reserve. The funds will be distributed to the Red Cross, the UN, and Norwegian aid organizations to help alleviate the growing crisis and provide immediate assistance to affected populations.
Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust highlighted that the war has worsened an already severe humanitarian situation, displacing hundreds of thousands of people. He emphasized that the additional funding supplements existing contributions through Norway’s established crisis-response mechanisms, allowing aid organizations to rapidly mobilize relief efforts.
The announcement was made during a meeting with key humanitarian partners, including Care, Caritas, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Norwegian Church Aid, Médecins Sans Frontières, Norwegian People’s Aid, NORWAC, Save the Children Norway, and the Red Cross. Aukrust praised these organizations for their life-saving work, often carried out under dangerous conditions, and stressed that the Norwegian funding model enables them to start relief efforts immediately.
Since the start of the year, Norwegian humanitarian organizations have already released NOK 26 million (approximately USD 2.6 million) to respond to the crisis, while UN and Red Cross funds have provided an additional NOK 18.5 million (about USD 1.9 million) financed by Norway. In total, Norway has contributed nearly NOK 70 million (approximately USD 7 million) to support people affected by the conflict, including funding through the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
State Secretary Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik noted the reports from Norwegian embassies and aid organizations highlighting the enormous humanitarian needs and repeated violations of international law. He described the destruction of the Norwegian Refugee Council’s premises in Tyre, Lebanon, by an Israeli attack as extremely serious, underlining the risks faced by civilians and humanitarian workers in the region.
