Norway is a big and healthy donor to the Ukraine crisis – VG
VG’s commentator Shazia Majid makes several erroneous claims about Norwegian humanitarian aid to Ukraine and aid to poor countries that we want to clean up.
This is a chronicle. The chronicle expresses the writer’s attitude. You can submit articles and debate posts to VG here.
ANNIKEN HUITFELDT, Minister of Foreign Affairs (Labor)
ANNE BEATHE TVINNEREIM, Minister for Development Aid (Sp)
First, Norway is one of the largest and first donors to the Ukraine crisis.
Thus, VG’s claim about this is directly the fault. As in other crisis situations, Norway has also this time been one of the largest and first donors. As early as 27 February, the government promised to contribute NOK 2 billion in support of Ukraine and neighboring countries. We have already paid out about 1 billion to organizations working to save lives, alleviate distress and provide protection to those affected by the war. And as VG, we also think that this must be fresh funds and not taken from the existing development assistance budget. Therefore, 1.75 billion is fresh money. It has been well known, and should also have been known to VG.
It is NOK 350 million for the Red Cross movement’s efforts and NOK 250 million for the UN’s efforts for refugees in neighboring countries. We also support the UN’s relief efforts in Ukraine and the World Food Program’s efforts to bring food into the war-torn areas of Ukraine. Through Norwegian humanitarian organizations, we have contributed NOK 144 million. At no time has there been a halt in the payments to these, as VG claims.
Through the EU Emergency Preparedness Mechanism (UCPM), Norway has contributed material support and medical assistance to Ukraine and neighboring countries. The situation, especially in Ukraine, is confusing and it is necessary to reach out to those who need assistance the most. The humanitarian actors work under very demanding conditions with great risk for their own employees and for aid not to arrive. We have therefore so far chosen to keep NOK 1 billion, in order to continue to contribute as the situation and needs develop.
Norway also ensures early payment to the major humanitarian organizations for 2022 and with great flexibility. This enables organizations to plan, prioritize and deliver even before the crisis was a fact.
Secondly, the EU Contingency Mechanism (UCMP) is one of many important channels for Norwegian support.
The contributions through this mechanism to a value of about NOK 100 million so far. Through this channel, Norway has, among other things, contributed surgical equipment, 40 tonnes of medicines and fire engines. Norway operates a hospital aircraft on behalf of the EU that was early wings, and we have begun evacuating Ukrainian patients to Norwegian hospitals.
The beauty of this scheme is that countries in crisis report their needs and thus we avoid sending equipment that the recipient does not need. It also means that the donations can be made when the recipient has a need and not least the capacity to receive the relevant equipment.
Thirdly – we completely agree with VG that one must not forget the other crises in the world.
Precisely for this reason, we must ensure that we handle both the situation in Ukraine and the urgent needs in other parts of the world. Not since World War II have we in Europe had acts of war with such cruel and far-reaching consequences as what we see now. In such a situation, it is our duty as responsible politicians to stop in order to make absolutely necessary assessments of what is now most important to prioritize.
We share the fear that the global food security situation as a result of the conflict in Ukraine may become precarious. High prices for food, fertilizers and energy come on top of a pandemic that has led to increased inequality in the world. What we are seeing now is that the Ukraine crisis is having negative ripple effects in developing countries and has exacerbated pre-existing problems. Those who were poor before can become even poorer.
This is a recipe for social unrest. Large increases in food and energy prices could lead to political instability, as we saw in the Arab Spring. Countries in the Middle East, northern Africa and Asia, which are largely dependent on wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine, will be particularly vulnerable. Also in this perspective, it is necessary that we now reconsider how we organize development assistance. Food production in developing countries must be increased. Therefore, we want to ensure, among other things, that we can prioritize assistance with food security.
The humanitarian effort in Ukraine will not be at the expense of the effort in other humanitarian crises in the world. The payments we asked Norad to wait with were money for large multilateral funds and organizations, such as the World Bank and the UN. We withheld this money to make sure we had enough money for what is really urgent now. The major core contributions of the major humanitarian organizations, such as WFP, UNHCR, OCHA and CERF, have been paid out. No humanitarian aid has been withheld.
Fourthly – when we receive refugees from Ukraine, we contribute to the European charity.
It is still uncertain how many Ukrainians will come to Norway and how long they will stay, and not least how great the humanitarian needs in Ukraine will be. But we must prepare for the fact that the development assistance budget must also contribute to this national promise for the refugees who come here. It is too early to say how much it will be. Nobody wants a situation where the needs of poor and vulnerable people are at odds with each other.
We will work to find a solution that takes into account both our efforts for the Ukrainians who come to Norway and our assistance to Ukraine and neighboring countries, and for Norway to continue long-term and short-term efforts in other countries affected by other crises and persistent poverty.