Crown Prince Haakon has been briefed on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, in a meeting with general secretary of Save the Children, general secretary of the Norwegian Refugee Council and the foreign chief of the Norwegian Red Cross.
During the briefing, on March 2nd 2022, Crown Prince Haakon said: “Norway has condemned the invasion and supports Ukraine in several ways. One of the areas Norway contributes is by increasing support for skilled humanitarian organizations such as yours, who help people in need”.
Jan Egeland of the Norwegian Refugee Council said that their people in Ukraine have reported terrible conditions in many places in Ukraine, and that between one hundred thousand and two hundred thousand new refugees are leaving every day. “We must expect several million refugees, and must be prepared for many refugees to Norway as well. But not least, it is a cruel situation for all those who can not escape; elderly, sick and disabled”, he emphasized.
Birgitte Lange from Save the Children emphasized that there are seven million children in Ukraine, and that they are all affected by the war. Jørgen Haldorsen of the Red Cross said that the Ukrainian Red Cross now primarily worked to provide water and food for people sitting in bomb shelters and basements, and that the Red Cross was also working in neighboring countries where refugees are arriving.
The Crown Prince, who is currently Regent of Norway, thanked the organizations for the important work they are carrying out. During the press conference after the briefing, he described the situation as serious, chaotic and difficult. The Crown Prince continued: “It is war in Europe. People are being killed and people are fleeing. But there are also many who fight and resist. It is important that we take care of each other, and that we preserve our humanity and that we see people as they are: people. Both Ukrainian and Russian people should feel safe in Norway”.
