Norway donates NOK 8 million to Venezuelan refugees

Erna SolbergPrime Minister Erna Solberg, and President Juan Manuel Santos (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Advertisement

Norway has donated NOK 8 million to Venezuelans who have fled from their homeland to Colombia, stated Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Høyre (H).

 

“The situation in Venezuela is critical. We need to help refugees and people who are now moving from a country that is in total political chaos, and economic ruin,” Solberg told NRK news.

She said the NOK 8 million grant will go to Norwegian organizations working in Colombia on the border with Venezuela.

Up to 600,000 Venezuelans have fled from economic crisis and food shortages in their oil rich home country. For Colombia, it has meant a refugee stream that the country has not experienced before, at a time when Colombia is busy completing the peace agreement with the FARC Guerrilla movement.

Colombia has announced tightening at the border in an effort to gain more control over refugee flows.

“What we are now seeing is the opposite of what we have seen over the past 20 years. Instead of Colombians fleeing to Venezuela, Venezuelans are now fleeing to Colombia, said Solberg.

Solberg arrived in Colombia on Monday and will be there until Wednesday.During the visit she will meet members of the FARC leadership, President Juan Manuel Santos, indigenous peoples, as well as Norwegian and Colombian companies. Norway was a facilitator during the peace talks between the FARC Guerrilla movement and the government.

 

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today

Advertisement
Add Learn Norwegian

Advertisement