Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland has delivered nearly €97.5 million in humanitarian aid by the end of July, with about €18 million – roughly one-fifth – going to Ukraine, according to a government announcement. The country has prioritized support for Ukraine, major refugee crises in Africa, and the Middle East humanitarian situation as global needs keep growing. About 10 percent of the aid flows through Finnish civil society organizations, while the rest goes through UN agencies and international groups like the Red Cross.
Global humanitarian funding is facing serious cuts just when needs are exploding. Finland is pushing for reforms to make sure aid reaches the people who need it most. Foreign Trade and Development Minister Ville Tavio says Finland’s total humanitarian assistance this year will top €100 million, with a focus on flexible funding that lets aid groups respond quickly to crises.
Ukraine gets the biggest chunk of Finnish aid – €16 million through UN agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross, plus nearly €2 million through Finnish NGOs. The World Food Programme’s deputy head in Ukraine, Nanna Skau, says Finland’s support has been “vital” since the war started. “The situation remains serious, with five million Ukrainians suffering from food insecurity,” she noted. WFP delivered cash and food to 1.1 million Ukrainians in July alone, partly thanks to Finnish flexibility in directing resources where needed most.
Finland has also put serious money into Africa and the Middle East. Sudan, where famine hit last year, got over €3.2 million for WFP operations and Finnish NGO projects. Gaza operations received more than €3 million, while Myanmar got over €4 million for humanitarian crisis response and earthquake recovery through the Red Cross federation and Finnish organizations.
The country also committed €2 million specifically for disability inclusion work through World Food Programme (WFP) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), plus €4 million for school meals programs, especially in Africa and the Middle East. Finland wants to make sure the most vulnerable people don’t get left behind.
