Norway to give NOK 10 million in humanitarian aid to Kyrgyzstan

“I am concerned about the situation in Kyrgyzstan. Large numbers of people in the south of the country have been caught up in the recent violence, resulting in urgent humanitarian needs. Norway stands ready to help those who are being affected by this difficult situation,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

The Norwegian contribution of NOK 10 million will be used to alleviate the acute humanitarian needs. The funding will be split between UNICEF, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is following the situation closely, through its own system, and through international organisations and NGOs that are active in the country. Norway is also involved in discussions about the situation in Kyrgyzstan in the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and NATO.

“We are particularly concerned about the situation of the ethnic minorities in the country, and are following it up through the OSCE,” said Mr Store.

The violence began with an uprising in April in several provinicial towns in northern Kyrgyzstan. The unrest has spread to the capital and to the southern parts of the country, where there is an ethnically mixed population. Almost 400 000 people have fled the fighting. A further 700 000 people are believed to be directly or indirectly affected by the violence.