Norway has allocated nearly $3 million to locate and return abducted Ukrainian children
Norway is allocating 25 million Norwegian kroner—more than 2.6 million U.S. dollars—to locate and repatriate Ukrainian children whom Russia has illegally deported to its territory.
The funds are also intended to support Ukrainian civilians held in Russian custody and prisoners of war.
“Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine has led to serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights. We must continue to draw attention to these violations and do everything possible to support Ukrainians who have suffered as a result of the war,” said Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Bart Eide.
The head of Norway’s Foreign Ministry noted that the allocated funds will help in the search for those missing in action, support efforts to bring more people home, and contribute to the rehabilitation and reintegration of those affected by the war.
The new aid will be channeled through UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Specifically, UNICEF will receive 15 million Norwegian kroner (over 1.5 million U.S. dollars) to support the reintegration of children who have returned to Ukraine and to search for children who are considered missing. It is noted that this funding is part of Norway’s broader contribution to UNICEF’s humanitarian program in Ukraine, totaling 132 million Norwegian kroner.
Oslo will allocate an additional 10 million Norwegian kroner (over $1 million) to the Central Tracing Agency of the ICRC.
In addition, according to the press release, Norway is providing 90 million Norwegian kroner (over 9.4 million U.S. dollars) to support the ICRC’s general humanitarian operations in Ukraine.
The Norwegian government added that this aid package was announced in connection with the international conference “Pathways to Peace: Returning Ukrainian Children, Detained Civilians, and Prisoners of War” (Pathways to Peace: Returning Ukrainian Children, Detained Civilians, and Prisoners of War), taking place in Toronto on September 28–29 and co-organized by Norway, Canada, and Ukraine.
This is stated in a press release on the Norwegian government’s website.
Ukraine will receive an additional €3 billion in financial aid from the EU.
The EU has tied additional financial aid to Ukraine to reforms, according to Bloomberg.
Ukraine may lose a significant portion of the projected $29.5 billion in international funding if lawmakers fail to pass the necessary bills by the specified deadlines. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi has set deadlines for votes in the Verkhovna Rada, on which the continued flow of financial aid from partners depends.
Ukraine received a list of reforms from the EU in response to its request for funds.
Ukraine will soon receive $841 million in budget support from the World Bank. The funds will be used to offset state budget expenditures related to pension payments, and the Canadian government will provide financing guarantees.
