How Norway Helps Africa: Breaking it Down

Is Norway Helping Africa: A Simple Study

Imagine you're at work, and your team decides to help someone who's struggling. Norway does the same thing but on a much larger scale, helping countries in Africa tackle big problems like hunger, sickness, and climate change. In 2023, Norway spent 10.2 billion Norwegian Kroner (about 898 million USD) on this kind of help. Here's how they did it and why it matters.

Who is Norway?

Norway's history is a blend of the Viking past, periods of union with other nations, and, ultimately, hard-won independence. Known for its Viking past, Norway gradually transitioned to Christianity in the late 10th century. For over four centuries, Norway was united with Denmark. In the 19th century, a growing sense of nationalism led to independence from Sweden in 1905. 

Norway sought neutrality in both World Wars but was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II. After the war, Norway joined NATO and experienced economic growth due to oil and gas discoveries. Today, Norway faces challenges such as integrating immigrants, maintaining its social safety net, and ensuring economic competitiveness.

Being African in Norway

The Black population in Norway, which includes people of African descent, is around 2.6% of the total population, or about 145,000 individuals. A significant portion of this population consists of asylum seekers, immigrants, and their children, estimated to be around 20.8% of the total Black population in Norway. 

The Black population in Norway, which includes people of African descent, is estimated to be around 2.6% of the total population or about 145,000 individuals, according to 2022 data. A significant portion of this population consists of asylum seekers, immigrants, and their children, estimated at approximately 20.8% of the Black population, or about 30,090 individuals.

The statistics do not account for third-generation Africans in Norway or those of mixed African and Norwegian descent. Many people of African descent settled in Norway during the 1980s and 1990s; the official statistics may underestimate the number of people with African heritage living in Norway because many Norwegians of a lighter mixed heritage are not counted, according to The Norwegian Center of Antiracism.

Why Does Norway Help Africa?

Norway could fit into Africa many times over — approximately 79 times. However, size does not matter. Norway believes that when one part of the world struggles, it can affect everyone. Helping African countries with problems like poverty and climate change makes the world better for everyone, including Norway. It's like pitching in to help someone at work—you're making things better for the whole team.

How Does Norway Help?

Norway's help in 2023 was organized into four main areas.

Helping Countries Directly: Norway worked closely with countries like Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, and South Sudan. They gave money and support for things like:

   - Building better schools.

   - Setting up healthcare programs for moms and kids.

   - Helping farmers grow more food.

Rahima Dadafe, 23, and her four children are just one of many Ethiopian families receiving government food assistance and special nutritious food from the World Food Program (WFP) to help children recover from malnutrition. "When the rain stopped, our crops failed, and our livestock started dying because there was no grass for them. I had three cows. They all died. Now we are surviving on assistance from the government," Rahima said.

Emergency Help: When disasters like famines or floods hit, Norway sends quick help. For example, they provided food and support to people in Somalia and South Sudan who were dealing with hunger and conflict. In 2016, Norway was a highly-valued contributor to the World Food Programme's (WFP) Immediate Response Account (IRA). This enabled the WFP to quickly step in with emergency assistance - before further funds were mobilized.WFP often relies on the IRA in a sudden onset crisis – and Norway is consistently among those donors whose funds help WFP deliver life-saving food.

Working with International Organizations: Norway teamed up with groups like the United Nations and the World Bank to make their help go further. These partnerships meant they could tackle big problems together. In 2022, small farmers were suffering in the Teso sub-region of Eastern Uganda. Norway a contribution of US$4.7 million jointly implement programmes which increase climate resilience and improve food and nutrition security for 8,000 families.

Fighting Climate Change: Norway also spent money on projects to protect the environment. These included planting trees, using renewable energy, and helping African countries prepare for climate disasters. In August 2024, Norway donated $5.2 million to the United Nations World Food Programme to help 544,000 Malawians affected by the El Niño weather pattern drought.

Who is Norway's NRC?

Since 1996, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has been a key stand-by partner for the World Food Programme (WFP). NRC consistently provides skilled personnel to support WFP operations worldwide, including contributions to the Global Logistics and Emergency Telecommunications Clusters, where WFP is the lead agency.

In 2015, NRC deployed 53 personnel to WFP. These experts played critical roles in WFP's responses to major crises, such as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the Nepal earthquake.

NRC also manages the ProCap, GenCap, and CashCAP rosters, which supply senior-level experts (P5/D1) in areas like Protection, Gender, and Cash-Based Transfers to UN agencies worldwide.

In 2023 and 2024, the NRC reported that Burkina Faso remained the world's most neglected displacement crisis for the second consecutive year. The organization called for increased international attention and resources to address the region's escalating needs and deepening despair.

What Difference Did It Make?

Norway's efforts had tangible results. Here are some examples:

- In Ethiopia, more people have clean water, which means fewer kids get sick.

- In Malawi, programs helped more girls stay in school, giving them better chances for the future.

- In Mozambique, new energy projects brought electricity to places that never had it before.

Bias in Norway

Exploring the intersection of race and the legal system in Norway is crucial. Understanding the experiences of Black individuals within this context not only highlights systemic inequalities but also calls for necessary reforms to ensure justice and equality for all.

While Norway has legal frameworks in place to address discrimination, concerns remain regarding the potential for racial bias in police practices, particularly in areas like stop and search. The broad discretion granted to officers in certain situations raises the risk of discriminatory actions. 

According to The Norwegian Center of Antiracism, there are no specific laws or regulations concerning racism or discriminatory behavior by Police forces. There is a requirement of impartiality in the Police code paragraph 6 on conduct. Police code paragraph 6 regulates the police use of force but is wide and leaves much to the discretion of the operative officer. 

Nigerian-Norwegian Police Contact Goes Wrong

Eugene Obiora, a Nigerian-born Norwegian citizen, died in police custody in Trondheim, Norway, in 2006. When a confrontation occurred, he was at a social services office to dispute a welfare denial. Police were called, and during the arrest, Obiora was restrained. He subsequently lost consciousness and died despite resuscitation efforts.

The case sparked controversy and public outcry. Investigations were conducted, but no charges were brought against the officers involved due to insufficient evidence. This outcome, along with the fact that one of the officers had been involved in a similar incident involving another person of African descent, raised concerns about potential racial bias and the use of excessive force by police.

Norwegian Child Q

Teachers called the police because they believed Child Q, a 15-year-old girl, was smuggling weed into the school. During the incident, the girl was taken to the school's medical room and strip-searched by two female Met police officers while teachers remained outside. Her parents were not contacted. Her intimate body parts were exposed, and she was made to take off her sanitary towel, according to the review. No drugs were found. 

The case of Child Q, strip-searched at school by police officers, sparked widespread outrage. This incident raised serious concerns about the misuse of police powers. There are concerns that racial bias may have played a role in the decision to strip-search the child. The incident has led to calls for significant reforms to police procedures regarding child strip searches, including stricter guidelines, increased oversight, and improved training for officers.

What's Next?

Norway plans to continue helping because the work isn't done yet. They'll continue focusing on policing, education, climate change, and emergency relief. By staying committed, Norway shows how helping others can make a huge difference, just like being part of a good team at work.