Norway is allocating NOK 25 million ($2.6 million) to humanitarian efforts supporting Ukrainian children deported or forcibly transferred by Russia, as well as detained civilians, prisoners of war and families searching for missing relatives.
The funding will be distributed through UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Norwegian government said.
“Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine has resulted in serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said. “We must continue to draw attention to these violations and do what we can to support Ukrainians affected by the war.”
Of the new funding, NOK 15 million will go to UNICEF to help trace missing Ukrainian children and support the rehabilitation and reintegration of children who have returned to Ukraine. The allocation forms part of Norway’s broader NOK 132 million contribution to UNICEF’s humanitarian programme in Ukraine.
Another NOK 10 million will be provided to the ICRC’s Central Tracing Agency Bureau, which works to trace missing people and reconnect families separated by armed conflict.
“Many families have no information about the whereabouts of their loved ones, and efforts to bring them home are complex and resource-intensive,” the Norwegian government said.
According to Oslo, an unknown number of Ukrainian civilians remain unlawfully detained, while prisoners of war and civilian detainees are being held in extremely difficult conditions.
“These funds will help trace missing persons, support efforts to bring more people home, and assist with rehabilitation and reintegration of those affected by the war,” Eide said.
Separately, Norway is providing NOK 90 million for the ICRC’s wider humanitarian operations in Ukraine.
