Norwegian Government contributed NOK 35 million to this year’s national telethon

On Sunday evening, Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre presented the Government’s contribution to the 2010 national telethon, which is raising funding for the Norwegian Refugee Council.

“Refugees are one of the most vulnerable groups of people in the world. They often lack access to the basic necessities of life, they lack protection against abuse, and they are in some of the world’s most dangerous and inaccessible areas,” said the Foreign Minister.

“I have myself visited many of the countries where the Refugee Council is working. In these poor and troubled areas, refugees often lose out in the competition for resources. This makes our efforts to help refugees and internally displaced persons even more important,” he continued.

“The Refugee Council is one of Norway’s largest NGOs, with projects in about 20 countries. They do vital work under difficult conditions, and they produce good results,” concluded Mr Støre.