Emergency aid needs to be increasingly linked to long-term development efforts that help to build greater resilience in areas affected by humanitarian crises.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation therefore supports several projects that address both acute and long-term needs in some of the most vulnerable parts of the world. Nine organizations and research institutions have been awarded a total of DKK 39.3 million for projects with activities in Mali, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, South Sudan, Jordan, Iraq and Syria.

“At the Novo Nordisk Foundation, we have chosen to focus on projects that combine emergency efforts with capacity-building in the longer term to help especially vulnerable groups. This requires extra effort from the organisations that do the work. In return, it provides an opportunity to develop some more integrated solutions that are adapted to local conditions,” says Hanna Line Jakobsen, Senior Vice President, Social & Humanitarian, Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Relieving acute food shortages and mitigating the effects of climate change
Several of the organisations that have received grants from the Foundation focus on relieving the acute food shortages that have arisen from such causes as climate change and the war in Ukraine.

CARE Denmark is one organisation that focuses on mitigating food shortages. It is receiving a grant for a project in the Gao region of Mali, which has been hit hard by climate change and violent conflicts. Climate change is leading to food insecurity, which exacerbates other humanitarian challenges. The project will therefore both alleviate the acute food needs in the region and support efforts that help to build resilience in the population.

Caritas Denmark is receiving a grant for its work to alleviate food shortages among children in Uganda who have fled South Sudan. This group has been hit hard by food shortages and reductions in the food rations distributed. The project supports the development of a locally led school meal programme that will ensure a daily lunch for about 5,300 schoolchildren who are now returning to school after a long closure because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some ingredients for the school food will come from school gardens that will be laid out in connection with the project, and the food will be prepared in sustainable solar-powered kitchens (ECOCA) which prevents deforestation and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The stove makes it possible to cook daily meals for a family of up to seven members without the use of fuel.

The Danish Red Cross is receiving a grant to build an alert system partly based on meteorological data that can be used to mitigate the effects of climate change such as droughts and floods in South Sudan. The system is being developed in close cooperation with the Red Cross in South Sudan and will enable the effects of predictable crises and disasters to be prevented and minimised while providing emergency aid to vulnerable populations in the country.

The nine grant recipients

CARE Denmark is receiving DKK 4.7 million for the project Nexus Response to the Complex Crisis. The project will take place in Mali.

Oxfam-Ibis is receiving DKK 5.0 million for the project Improving the Livelihoods and Resilience of the Most Vulnerable and Conflict-affected. The project will take place in Yemen.

DanChurchAid is receiving DKK 5.0 million for the project Combatting Sexual and Gender-based Violence Holistically. The project will take place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Caritas Denmark is receiving DKK 5.0 million for the project Promotion of Locally Led School Feeding and Child Protection. The project will take place in Uganda.

Danish Red Cross is receiving DKK 4.4 million for the project Forecast-based Action. The project will take place in South Sudan.

The University of Copenhagen is receiving DKK 4.3 million for the project Transformation Labs: Researching Pathways towards Sustainable Development. The project will take place primarily in online workshops and has a global target group.

EIR Org is receiving DKK 1.5 million for the project EIR Football League Jordan 2022–2023. The project will take place in Jordan.

DRC Danish Refugee Council is receiving DKK 5.0 million for the project Refugee Investment Fund. The project will take place in Jordan and Uganda.

The Maternity Foundation is receiving DKK 5.0 million for the project Strengthening Healthcare Worker Capacity to Deliver High-quality Maternal Care. The project will take place in Jordan, Iraq and Syria.

Further information

Sabina Askholm Larsen, Communications Partner, +45 2367 3226, [email protected]