Norway allocates NOK 30 million to trace missing children

The funding will, inter alia, support efforts to trace missing Ukrainian children and their family members who may have been abducted to Russia.

“As if living in the midst of war were not hard enough, many families are left without knowing what has happened to their loved ones. It is particularly grave that many of those affected are children,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.

The ICRC collects, registers and exchanges information in order to reunite families and clarify what has happened to those reported missing.

According to the UN system, the Ukrainian authorities and independent research institutions, several thousand Ukrainian children have been forcibly transferred or abducted from occupied areas to Russia or Russian‑controlled territories. This constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and children’s rights.

New reports from the UN system and research institutions such as the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) in recent years have documented systematic transfers of Ukrainian children, including adoption and so‑called “re‑education” in Russia.

“The abduction of children is among the most serious abuses we are seeing in this war. Children must never be used as pawns in an armed conflict,” said Mr Eide.

On Monday 11 May, the EU is hosting an international conference on abducted children in Brussels. State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Eivind Vad Petersson, will take part.

Since the outbreak of the war, Norway has been clear in its condemnation of the forced transfer and abduction of Ukrainian children. Efforts range from political pressure and diplomacy to concrete support for international mechanisms.

“Our message is clear: those responsible for these abuses must be held to account. At the same time, we will do what we can to help bring the children home,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In total, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has been allocated NOK 233 million from the Nansen Support Programme for 2026. Of this amount, NOK 30 million is earmarked for the work carried out by the ICRC’s Central Tracing Agency (CTA) to trace missing persons. The Tracing Agency for the international armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine aims to prevent disappearances and alleviate the suffering of families who receive no news of their loved ones, either because they have been captured or killed, or because they have fled their homes and lost contact.

All parties to an armed conflict have an obligation to search for missing persons and family members who have gone missing. The Tracing Agency supports families in obtaining answers about what has happened to, or where, their relatives may be.

Norway also supports UNICEF’s work in this field. Together with the Ukrainian authorities, the UN agency is working specifically to establish a new register of Ukrainian children who have been taken captive. Through UNICEF, Norway helps to ensure that efforts on behalf of Ukrainian children are carried out in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Through UNICEF, Norway also funds centres for children who have returned to Ukraine. These centres are responsible for safeguarding the best interests of the child in order to prevent further trauma upon their return to their home country. Humanitarian organisations and Ukrainian civil society also play an important role in this work.

The new funding is part of Norway’s long‑term humanitarian engagement in Ukraine. A significant share of Norway’s efforts in Ukraine is directed towards the protection of vulnerable children and other civilians affected by the war.