Increase of Norwegian support will be given to Syrian women and children

Children inspect rubble of damaged buildings in a rebel-held besieged area in Aleppo, Syria.Photo:REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail

Norway has increased funding for children, adolescents and women from Syria by 105 million. Of this, 80 million will go toward education.

Support for education for children and young people in crisis is often ignored even though kids are particularly vulnerable to hunger, disease, violence and abuse.

At the donors’ conference on support to Syria and neighboring countries of February this year, Norway promised that at least 15 percent of support to Syria and neighboring countries should go toward education in 2016.

‘We are now increasing support, with an additional 80 million for education, so that our total contribution to education will be over 450 million. Educational support will constitute about 20 percent of humanitarian aid this year’, said Foreign Minister Børge Brende.

Lebanon is among the countries that are struggling with the biggest challenges. The country has requested $ 100 million to continue providing education to Syrian child refugees.

Of the 80 million aid increase, about 50 million will go toward education in Lebanon, said the Foreign Ministry.

Total Norwegian educational support to the country is over 180 million. Norway is also increasing efforts to empower women and children by providing 25 million support money through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Norway is the fifth largest humanitarian donor to Syria. Overall, Norway has contributed around 2.4 billion in aid to crisis torn Syria in 2016, according to figures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today