Policy Updates

On May 18, 2026 during the World Health Assembly, Norway announced NOK30 million (US$3.1 million) for WHO basic emergency care program to strengthen life-saving skills at around 1,000 hospitals in five African countries over three years.

The program was developed by Laerdal Global Health in partnership with WHO and will be implemented with national health authorities in Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Sierra Leone. The program will build basic emergency medicine skills for health personnel, with a focus on district and regional hospitals.

Minister of Health and Care Services Jan Christian Vestre said Norway prioritized cooperation that strengthened health systems and supported life-saving innovation. Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust said the partnership demonstrates how the UN, private actors, and governments can improve health services, noting that Norway prioritizes strengthening WHO through flexible funding and targeted partnerships.

Norway said the NOK30 million (US$3.1 million) support is additional to Norway’s NOK1 billion contribution to WHO investment round for 2025-2028, which aimed to secure more predictable and sustainable financing for the organization.

On April 20, 2026, Norway announced NOK100 million (US$11 million) in budget support to Palestine to help maintain basic public services, including education, and ensure the payment of salaries to government employees.

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide made the announcement during a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Brussels, where Eide also chaired a meeting of the Palestine Aid and Liaison Group together with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas. The budget support comes amid an acute economic crisis in Palestine, exacerbated by movement restrictions and violence, which have severely strained public finances and forced drastic cuts to the state budget, leaving public employees including teachers, health workers, and police receiving only partial salaries.

Norway stated that budget support would help provide financial stability and ensure the Palestinian population continued to receive health care and education, while calling on other countries to contribute. Norway's planned support to Palestine, including to Palestinian refugees, will be approximately NOK1 billion (US$110 million) in 2026.

On April 16, 2026, the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents announced new funding commitments totaling US$806 million from governments and philanthropic partners to support its TRANSFORM 2030 strategy, a five-year plan to accelerate reductions in preventable maternal and child deaths.

The announcements were made on the sidelines of the World Bank Group-International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in Washington, DC. The commitments represent more than 80% of the GFF's fundraising goal of US$1 billion by the end of 2026, with additional pledges expected in the coming months.

Commitments announced included:

• CAD190 million (US$139 million) from the Government of Canada;
• EUR45 million (US$53 million) from the Government of Germany;
• US$186 million from the Government of the Netherlands;
• NOK600 million (US$66 million) from the Government of Norway;
• US$150 million from the Children's Investment Fund Foundation;
• US$200 million from the Gates Foundation; and
• US$15 million from the Laerdal Scale Up Fund.

Philanthropic and private sector commitments included US$250 million for the newly launched Sustainable Commodities Access Program, designed to incentivize countries to expand access to high-quality commodities and address supply chain bottlenecks, and US$15 million for a new innovations challenge program to scale up the Safer Births Bundle of Care in 10 countries.

On March 24, 2026, Norway announced NOK767 million (US$77 million) in additional humanitarian funding for Ukrainians affected by the war, including NOK260 million (US$26 million) in new support for displaced people in and from Ukraine through UNHCR and other UN partners.

The Norwegian government announced an increase of NOK225 million (US$23 million) to UNHCR's efforts in Ukraine and a further NOK35 million (US$4 million) for its refugee response in neighboring Moldova. Additional funding was directed through the WFP, UNICEF, and the UN's humanitarian country-based pooled funds to support humanitarian work in Ukraine and the refugee response in Moldova.

The new funding for the humanitarian response in Ukraine, totaling NOK725 million (US$73 million), will be allocated as follows:

• NOK225 million (US$23 million) to UNHCR;
• NOK175 million (US$18 million) to WFP;
• NOK110 million (US$11 million) to UNICEF;
• NOK80 million (US$8 million) to UNOCHA's country-based pooled funds;
• NOK50 million (US$5 million) to UNFPA;
• NOK50 million (US$5 million) to WHO;
• NOK30 million (US$3 million) to FAO; and
• NOK5 million (US$500,000) to UNOCHA for coordination.

Additional funding for the refugee response in Moldova, totaling NOK42 million (US$4 million), is allocated as follows:

• NOK35 million (US$4 million) to the UNHCR;
• NOK4 million (US$400,000) to UNFPA; and
• NOK3 million (US$300,000) to UNICEF.

On January 13, 2026, Norway signed a two-year agreement with UNRWA , agreeing to provide NOK175 million (US$17 million) for core support in 2026 and 2027, plus an additional NOK100 million (US$10 million) for humanitarian work in 2026, totaling NOK275 million (US$27 million) in 2026.

Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust and State Secretary Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik signed the agreement in Oslo with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. The Norwegian leaders reconfirmed Norway's support for Palestinian refugees, stating the agreement sends a clear signal of solidarity with them as well as support for the UN decision to extend UNRWA's mandate, noting that the organization has faced major political and financial challenges.

Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide announced an emergency support package of EUR340 million (US$395 million) to Ukraine on January 12, 2026, to support the energy sector and help the Ukrainian government maintain critical services.

Norway will channel the funding through established partners including the EBRD and the Energy Community, a European organization that seeks to extend the EU internal energy market to third countries such as Ukraine. In addition, funding will also be channeled through the World Bank's multi-donor trust fund for Ukraine and will be used to pay salaries for teachers, healthcare personnel, and public sector employees as well as pensions and social benefits.

Ukraine's budget deficit in 2025 was covered in part by a loan to be repaid with proceeds from immobilized Russian assets. The budget support provided by Norway to the Ukrainian government administration will help alleviate the situation until the loan mechanism agreed by EU member states in December 2025 is in place.

On December 27, 2025, Norway announced increased support to the WFP by NOK129 million ( US$12.7 million) for emergency assistance and community resilience efforts in South Sudan, where 6 million people faced hunger.

Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust announced the additional funding will support emergency assistance and efforts to strengthen community resilience amid a severe humanitarian crisis, with 6 million people in South Sudan lacking sufficient food. The humanitarian situation has worsened due to escalating violence, extensive flood damage following a heavy rainy season, and large refugee flows from the war in Sudan. The UN estimated that the number of people facing hunger could exceed half of the population within six months.

Aukrust committed Norway to continued stabilization efforts through emergency assistance and longer-term measures to reduce population vulnerability to hunger. Norway has maintained a long-standing partnership with the WFP in South Sudan. The new agreement ensured that emergency aid reached the most vulnerable while supporting long-term measures to build resilience in local communities.

Norway announced over NOK24 million (US$2 million) on December 10, 2025, in emergency assistance for flood-affected populations in Sri Lanka following Cyclone Ditwah and catastrophic flooding that affected nearly 11 million people across South and Southeast Asia.

Minister for International Development Åsmund Aukrust stated that Norway allocated NOK20 million (US$2 million) to the Red Cross movement and the UN system in Sri Lanka to provide shelter, food, health care, and support for rebuilding local communities. Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka on November 28, 2025, bringing heavy rainfall and winds that triggered landslides and severe flooding. The UN estimated that floods and landslides across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Malaysia since November 17, 2025, resulted in approximately 1,600 deaths and displaced 1.2 million people. The disasters destroyed critical infrastructure and increased health risks from water-borne diseases and poor sanitation.

The UN Emergency Relief Fund CERF released US$5 million for flood response in Sri Lanka, with Norway's contribution to the fund corresponding to approximately NOK5 million (US$455,000). Norway also supported the affected population through the WFP crisis response mechanism, funded a UN expert to facilitate relief work, and adapted mine clearance operations through Mines Advisory Group and the HALO Trust to protect populations from explosives displaced by floodwaters.

On Decembr 2, 2025, donors pledged US$1.2 billion at the annual UNHCR Pledging Conference in Geneva for 2026 operations, slightly above the 2025 pledge and covering nearly 18% of UNHCR's projected funding needs.

UNHCR's National Partners committed an additional US$350 million from private sector fundraising, bringing total pledges to US$1.5 billion. Several governments confirmed multi-year contributions extending into 2027 and beyond to strengthen UNHCR's long-term planning.

UNHCR Comissioner Filippo Grandi stated that early and flexible funding provided a lifeline to respond quickly to new emergencies and deliver solutions in neglected crises. Top government contributors included Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Norway, with substantially increased contributions from Ireland, Luxembourg, and Iceland. The European Union confirmed significant funding already committed for 2026, while Austria and Spain joined the group of governments pledging support to UNHCR.

Unearmarked funding pledged dropped to 17% of total pledges, nearly half of 2023 levels, while earmarked funding for specific countries and activities increased. Norway, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Ireland pledged the largest amounts of unearmarked funding.

Norway has announced NOK450 million (US$45 million) to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund for 2026 and increased 2025 support by NOK20 million (US$2 million) to NOK470 million (US$47 million) on December 2, 2025.

Minister for International Development Åsmund Aukrust stated that CERF is one of the most important mechanisms for providing rapid life-saving assistance and protection to those most in need. Humanitarian needs continued to increase while global funding decreased, with persistent war, conflict, and climate-related disasters driving the growing number of people in need.

Aukrust emphasized that predictable and flexible funding as core support to CERF enabled humanitarian actors to deliver quickly and effectively when crises arose or worsened. CERF was also one of the most important mechanisms for early intervention in advance of crises to minimize consequences of natural disasters.

The UN and partners plan to launch the global humanitarian plan for 2026 in mid-December 2025. Aukrust noted that although Norway is maintaining humanitarian support, total funding is expected to continue to decline.