The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has announced they may be forced to suspend essential aid in nearly 20 countries due to funding cuts from its major donors.
- The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) faces funding cuts from major donors
- NRC received nearly 20% of its funding, approximately $150 million, from the U.S. in 2024
- NRC operates in approximately 40 countries, with 18 of them in Africa
In a statement, the NRC revealed that it will be forced to suspend ongoing and urgent U.S.-funded aid programs in nations affected by war, disasters, and displacement.
“NRC has not suspended all aid work in the almost 20 impacted countries, rather our work in those countries which is supported by US funding has been impacted, to a greater or lesser extent.” the humanitarian agency noted.
The organization attributed this decision to the “suspension, partial withholding, or lack of reimbursement” of U.S. funding for its global humanitarian operations, a move expected to impact hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people.
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This follows the halt in funding and the eventual shutdown of USAID, a key donor heavily financed by the United States.
According to the NRC, the U.S., alongside Norway, the EU, Sweden, and Germany, rank among its largest contributors.
In 2024, the organization received nearly 20% of its funding, approximately $150 million, from the U.S. This support helped reach around 1.6 million people across various humanitarian projects globally.
The NRC, in a solemn statement, expressed that in its 79-year history, it has never faced such abrupt and unprecedented aid cuts.
“We have, in our 79-year history, never experienced such an abrupt discontinuation of aid funding from any of our many donor nations, intergovernmental organizations, or private donor agencies,” it stated.
The NRC warned of severe consequences for crisis-affected populations due to funding cuts, including the suspension of February aid distribution to 57,000 people in Ukraine.
It also announced inevitable staff layoffs, including in Afghanistan, where aid workers support vulnerable women and families.
While welcoming a temporary U.S. waiver for life-saving aid, NRC stressed it cannot benefit unless past payments are resumed.
NRC operations in Africa
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) operates across multiple African countries, delivering humanitarian aid and protection for displaced populations.
The NRC highlighted the drastic impact of the aid cuts on the most vulnerable populations.
From providing clean water to 300,000 people in the blockaded city of Djibo in Burkina Faso—where it is the only organization offering this support—to aiding nearly 500 bakeries in Darfur, Sudan, which provide subsidized bread to hundreds of thousands facing hunger, the organization is playing a critical role in some of the world’s most desperate crises.
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The organization focuses on six key areas: food security, education, shelter, legal assistance, protection from violence, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
As of May 2024, the NRC is active in approximately 40 countries, with 18 of them in Africa.
These include Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
