Norway Provides $2.6 Million to UN Afghanistan Trust Fund

Norway has contributed approximately $2.6 million to the United Nations’ Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan, bringing its total contributions to the fund to more than $49.3 million, according to UN figures. The latest donation underscores Norway’s continued role as one of the fund’s most reliable donors and reinforces its commitment to addressing Afghanistan’s deepening humanitarian crisis.

The fund welcomed the latest Norwegian contribution, saying continued support from the country would help UN agencies expand assistance and basic services for people in Afghanistan. Officials associated with the mechanism noted that sustained funding is critical at a time when humanitarian needs across the country remain acute and global donor attention is increasingly stretched.

The Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan was established in October 2021 shortly after the Taliban’s return to power to help address basic needs, including essential services, livelihoods, disaster response and initiatives supporting human rights and women’s empowerment. The fund operates as a pooled financing mechanism, allowing donors to channel resources through UN agencies rather than directly to the country’s de facto authorities.

Norway is the third-largest contributor to the fund after Sweden and Germany, according to the fund’s official contribution figures. Since 2021, 16 donors have contributed more than $277 million to the mechanism, reflecting sustained international concern over Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation despite broader questions about engagement with the Taliban-led administration.

The Norwegian government says its assistance to Afghanistan is not provided directly to the Taliban authorities. Instead, funding is channelled through UN agencies, multilateral organisations and non-governmental and civil-society organisations. Norway has repeatedly said that direct support to Afghanistan’s de facto authorities is not part of its aid policy, positioning its assistance firmly within a humanitarian rather than political framework.

Oslo has also made access to essential services for women and girls a priority in its Afghanistan assistance. Norwegian policy documents say support is directed toward areas including education, healthcare, food security, livelihoods and women’s rights, while funding is channelled through multilateral organisations and civil society rather than directly to the de facto authorities. This approach reflects Norway’s broader emphasis on protecting gains made in women’s rights and education over the past two decades, even as it maintains limited diplomatic contact with the Taliban.

The new contribution comes as Afghanistan continues to face major humanitarian and economic needs, while humanitarian funding worldwide has come under pressure. The Norwegian Refugee Council warned in July that global humanitarian funding had fallen sharply in 2026, increasing pressure on assistance programmes serving vulnerable populations. Afghanistan remains among the countries most affected by this shortfall, with millions of people dependent on humanitarian aid for basic survival. In this context, Norway’s latest contribution is likely to be seen as both a practical lifeline for UN operations and a signal encouraging other donors to maintain their support.