The government has today presented its national budget. Here you can read some of the Caritas Norway's reactions to the budget items that concern our work abroad. 

At first glance, the state budget appears to be supportive. The Labor Party has met the one percent aid target. However, if you look closely at the figures, it is clear that there are many losers in the budget. Among these are the poorest regions in the world. 

Ingrid Rosendorf Joys, general secretary of Caritas Norway has the following comment on the budget. 

— It is gratifying that the 1% target is being reached. However, it is not good that the allocations to many of the poorest countries are being reduced. In a time of enormous cuts from major donor countries, every Norwegian aid krone is more important than ever. This also means that any reduction in aid to the world's most vulnerable will hit harder than ever. 

The cuts in food security are particularly worrisome, according to Joys.

— One in five people in Africa suffers from hunger. While food security improves globally, then it worsens regionally. Caritas We are very concerned that the government is once again drastically cutting support for the fight against hunger, 700 million, at a time when more and more people are starving on the African continent. 

Ukraine gets more. Africa and Latin America get less. Support for Africa is reduced by 355 million to 1859 million. Support for Latin America, which was already small, is reduced by 15 million, to 143.4 million. 

— We wholeheartedly support the government's support for Ukraine. However, in this budget, it is Africa that "pays" for Norwegian efforts in Ukraine. This will weaken Norway's credibility and may contribute to countries in the South becoming more responsive to other actors who do not value the international legal order as highly, says Joys.

Defense and emergency preparedness are budget winners. Caritas Norway would like to remind you that aid is also an investment in a safer world. 

— The government presents this as a budget that will make Norway safer. We would like to remind you that aid also contributes to making the world, and Norway, safer, Joys states. 

Joys believes it is shocking that more money is not being allocated to peace and reconciliation work, in a world where the level of conflict is higher than it has been in many decades: 

— The allocations for peace and reconciliation are at the same level as last year. However, the world has become more conflict-ridden. One would think that Norway, a nation of peace, would prioritize this field to a greater extent than this state budget suggests.