Norwegian unearmarked funds save refugees worldwide
Contributions to UNHCR
Norway is one of UNHCR’s most important strategic partners and a generous donor to UNHCR. In 2017, Norway was UNHCR’s largest donor in relation to the population size of the country and the seventh largest donor overall. Norway donated in total USD 99 million to UNHCR, of which 42 per cent was unearmarked. Norway ranked among the top five donors of unearmarked contributions in 2017. Contributed without restrictions on its use, unearmarked funding allows UNHCR the critical flexibility in how best to reach refugees and other populations of concern in the greatest need and at the greatest risk.
Education plays a central role in UNHCR’s protection mandate, and Norway is a great supporter of UNHCR’s Education Strategy. Norway’s thematic funding focuses specifically on providing education to children in crises and conflict affected areas. Norway has previously funded UNHCR’s work on supporting quality and protective education in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Niger, Turkey, South Sudan and Uganda. In 2017, Norway donated USD 2,6 million to strengthen education opportunities for children in Tanzania affected by the Burundi situation, including USD 630,000 to UNHCR’s global education activities.
Norway has strong donor focus on the Syria crisis including funding resettlement initiatives for Syrian refugees. Norway also donates to emergencies all across Africa, IDP and protracted situations such as Afghanistan and Ukraine. Norway supports the Nansen Refugee Award and contributes annually with a monetary prize to the Nansen Refugee Award winner.
Norway’s thematic focus: Education.
See how education has impacted Muzon’s life in Jordan’s refugee camps and why she advocates that everyone should receive an education.
Activities
Protecting through education
In Africa’s largest and most complex emergency, the South Sudan crisis, almost 90 per cent of those fleeing are women and children. Funding to UNHCR’s South Sudan operation from the Norwegian Government ensures that young South Sudanese refugee women and girls can attend and stay enrolled in school.
‘Leaving no one behind’: Norway’s unearmarked core support to the UNHCR saves refugees
In 2016, Norway became the largest donor to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) per capita, the seventh largest donor country to UNHCR in total and the fourth largest donor of unearmarked support.
Norway allocates 1.6 million USD for resettlement of Syrian refugees
The annual Norwegian contribution to UNHCR for achieving resettlement solutions will in 2016 be focused on aiding Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan.
Donor Government Counterparts
Latest from Norway
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is UNHCR´s Government counterpart on matters related to strategic cooperation and funding.
More on our partnership with Norway.
The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation – NORAD is a government agency in charge of quality-assurance of Norwegian development cooperation and implementing part of the Norwegian Development Aid.