Norway to provide €2.3 million to find Ukrainian children deported by Russia and help prisoners

Olha Kovalchuk, Anastasia Prots - 29 September, 08:53

The flag of Norway. Photo: Getty Images

Norway will allocate 25 million kroner (€2.3 million) to help find and bring back Ukrainian children deported by Russia and assist prisoners of war and civilians held in detention. The funds will be channelled through UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Source: European Pravda, citing the Norwegian government

Details: The new aid will be allocated to UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

These funds are intended to help find missing people, bring more people home and support the rehabilitation and reintegration of those affected by the war.

Fifteen million kroner (€1.4 million) will be allocated to UNICEF's work on the reintegration of deported children who have returned to Ukraine and on searching for missing children. This is part of a new, larger contribution of 132 million kroner (€12.2 million) to UNICEF's humanitarian programme in Ukraine.

Another 10 million kroner (€921,506) will be allocated to the Central Tracing Agency of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The agency aims to prevent people from going missing and ease the suffering of families who receive no news about their loved ones – whether because they have been taken prisoner or killed, or because they fled their homes due to the war and lost contact.

Meanwhile, Norway is co-hosting a conference in Toronto on 28-29 September aimed at drawing international attention to the issue.

"Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine has resulted in serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights. We must continue to draw attention to these violations and do what we can to support Ukrainians affected by the war," said Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.

Background:

On 28 September, the Council of the EU sanctioned another 10 individuals and 17 entities for their involvement in the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia and forced displacement within Russian-occupied territories.
In September, the Canadian government added eight more Russians to its sanctions list over their involvement in the illegal deportation and forced displacement of Ukrainian children to Russia as well as their indoctrination and militarisation.

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