Benjamin Dousa

The Government has decided to allocate SEK 800 million to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the region. Sweden is also continuing its support to the response in Gaza through extensive core support to a number of key humanitarian actors. The Government’s core support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will be discontinued.

The Swedish Government has decided to provide SEK 40 million to the efforts of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Gaza. This support will go to essential items for the winter, protection, access to education and psychosocial support.

The Government has decided to provide a maximum of SEK 258 million (approximately USD 25.06 million) to the Asian Development Fund (ADF). These new funds will support long-term economic development and poverty reduction in the poorest and most vulnerable developing countries in Asia and the Pacific region.

Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa is visiting Israel and Palestine on 16–18 December to get an updated picture of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, and to hold talks on humanitarian access and support.

Okhmatdyt, Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital, was hit by a Russian robot attack earlier this year. The Government then expressed its intention to support the reconstruction of the hospital with almost SEK 10 million to match the amount collected by Beredskapslyftet in private financing. The first part of the support is now being disbursed through a grant of SEK 3 million. Together with the SEK 3 million from the business sector, the aid will go towards equipment and training to secure functioning hospital beds at the children’s hospital, enable vital care and strengthen preparedness for possible patient evacuations.

The Government has decided to contribute an additional SEK 110 million to Ukrainian humanitarian initiative Grain from Ukraine. The support will go to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), which is the initiative’s implementing partner. Under the initiative, Ukrainian grain is transported to countries where the need for food is greatest.

The Swedish Government has decided to contribute funds to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Over the next three years, Sweden will provide SEK 615 million to IFAD, a UN agency that promotes food security and creates livelihood opportunities for women and men living in poverty in rural areas of developing countries. Through low-interest loans and donations, IFAD supports people in poor and disadvantaged rural areas, such as women smallholder farmers and vulnerable groups.

Two thirds of Syria’s population – almost 17 million people – are in need of humanitarian support. The Swedish Government is now allocating an additional SEK 14 million in support to the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Syria.

Sweden is going to purchase hybrid bonds from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) valued at approximately SEK 100 million. This investment is part of the Government’s strategy to modernise and streamline development assistance and promote sustainable economic development in partner countries.

Sweden has announced a contribution of SEK 8.2 billion to the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), a fund for the world’s poorest countries. In doing so, Sweden is contributing to the record-breaking 21st replenishment of the fund, which will generate a total of USD 100 billion for reforms, investment, and development in low-income countries.

The Swedish Government has decided to stop providing development assistance to Yemen. Bilateral development assistance to Yemen will be phased out in a responsible manner. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has been tasked with bringing activities to a close by 30 June 2025. Sweden will continue to be a major humanitarian donor to Yemen.

Russia’s illegal attacks on health and medical care facilities during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine have severe consequences for women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The Swedish Government has therefore approved an additional SEK 50 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and its operations in Ukraine.

Sweden is increasing its support to Moldova by SEK 129 million to strengthen the country’s democracy and societal resilience. The aim is to improve Moldova’s capacity to audit campaign finance, resist cyberattacks, combat corruption and increase transparency in the judicial system.

Sweden’s Government has approved support to the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF IV/IDB Lab). Sweden will contribute a maximum of USD 3.35 million (approximately SEK 37 million) in the fourth replenishment of the MIF. MIF/IDB Lab is an entity within the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), focused on the private sector. The Investment Fund focuses on the development of small businesses in Latin America and the Caribbean. These new funds will contribute to investments within private sector development, innovation, climate, equality, women’s economic empowerment and migration.

Sweden is and will remain one of the world’s most generous donors of international climate finance. Swedish climate aid will be expanded and streamlined. With its substantial contribution in 2022, Sweden played a significant role in achieving the goal of USD 100 billion per year in global climate finance. Sweden’s contribution to international climate finance is at the core of its climate policy. International climate finance will contribute to both emissions reductions and climate adaptation.

On Thursday 14 November, Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid A. Al-Falih visited Sweden. Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa hosted the visit, which focused on Swedish companies.

Sweden has announced its contribution of SEK 8 billion to the UN Green Climate Fund (GCF), making the country one of the largest donors. Through the GCF, low- and middle-income countries can receive support to implement climate investments for reduced emissions and protect their societies against climate change by taking adaptation measures.

In connection with the COP29 climate change conference, Sweden is announcing a contribution to a new fund that aims to help particularly vulnerable countries manage climate-related loss and damage (the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage). The Fund is under the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

On 11–13 November, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa and Minister for EU Affairs Jessica Rosencrantz will receive Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan.

Together with his ministerial counterparts in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa has written a letter to the European Commission proposing increased import tariffs on Russian goods.