Norway gives $1.63 million to Afghanistan humanitarian fund

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said that Norway has donated 15 million kroner, equivalent to $1.63 million, to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, a contribution made amid a severe shortage of funding for aid to those in need.

In a post on X on Monday, Sept. 30, OCHA thanked the Norwegian government for the donation. According to the agency, the new funds could help sustain humanitarian operations for people in need in different parts of Afghanistan.

The contribution comes as Afghanistan’s humanitarian support programme faces a serious funding shortfall. The United Nations has requested $1.7 billion for this year to assist 17.5 million vulnerable and needy people in Afghanistan, but so far only a little more than 30% of that budget has been secured.

OCHA is the UN body coordinating emergency humanitarian aid, and the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund is one of the main financing mechanisms for responding to urgent needs in the country.