Norway fulfils pledge to provide NOK 10 billion to Syria crisis

At the Syria Conference in Brussels, Norway will announce an allocation of around NOK 2.45 billion for 2019. This means that Norway will fulfil its pledge to provide NOK 10 billion to the response to the Syria crisis in the four-year period 2016-2019. Norway is one of the largest donors to the humanitarian efforts in Syria and its neighbouring countries.

‘The conflict in Syria has now entered its ninth year, and it is still ongoing. For the almost 12 million people in need of assistance, it is vital that the international community maintains a high level of aid. Norway will continue to provide support, both to civilians in Syria and to Syria’s neighbouring countries, which have received millions of refugees. Support for education will continue to be a priority. We must invest in the children and young people of Syria. They are the ones who will have the challenging task of rebuilding and stabilising their country,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.

The Norwegian funds are being channelled through the UN, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and humanitarian organisations. Norway is also supporting the UN-led process to find a political solution to the conflict. An important aspect of this work is ensuring that representatives of civil society and women’s groups are included in the process. 

‘Lasting peace and stability in Syria cannot be achieved without political solutions. UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen has our full support in his demanding work,’ said Prime Minister Solberg.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Marianne Hagen is representing Norway at the conference Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, which the UN and the EU are co-chairing in Brussels on 12-14 March. The conference is a follow-up to the London conference in 2016, which was co-hosted by Norway together with the UK, Germany, Kuwait and the UN.