Afghanistan

Norway pledges $1.8 million in aid to Afghanistan mid funding shortfall

Norway has committed 20 million Norwegian kroner, or about $1.8 million, to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund for 2024, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The contribution adds to the more than 189 million kroner Norway has donated to the fund over the past decade.

The donation comes as U.N. agencies continue to warn of a significant funding gap for humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, where the Taliban’s return to power has exacerbated the country’s humanitarian crisis.

The World Food Program (WFP) recently cautioned that more than one million mothers and children may be deprived of critical nutrition aid due to budget constraints.

The United Nations estimates that nearly 24 million Afghans require humanitarian assistance, while the WFP has reported that 3.9 million people in the country are facing malnutrition.