International Round-Up: Denmark donates millions to Pakistan in wake of flooding

Elsewhere, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparks more international co-operation within the realms of defence and climate

Benedicte Vagner

Sep 5, 2022

Pakistan has been hit by significant flooding and one third of the country is under water, affecting 33 million people.

According to the UN, millions are in need of aid and Denmark has agreed to set aside 10 million kroner to help alleviate the situation.

“The flooding is yet another example of the most vulnerable being the hardest hit by climate change,” said development minister, Flemming Møller Mortensen.

Hundreds of thousands displaced
Denmark’s aid will go to UNHCR, which has distributed critical aid such as tents, sanitation, blankets and sleeping mats to the impacted areas.

The government said it would support continued aid support and the protection of women and children in the areas of crisis.

The UN estimates that 6.4 million people are in need of aid, including 421,000 refugees who have be forced to abandon their homes due to the immense water masses.

More aid for Sahel crisis
Russia’s attack on Ukraine has caused the food crisis in the Sahel region of Africa to worsen and Denmark has moved to donate 100 million kroner in aid. The funds include 20 million being earmarked for UNICEF in Niger and another 20 million for the ICRC in Nigeria. According to the UN, approximately 15 million people will be in need of help in 2022 and the food crisis does not seem to be improving any time soon due to a poor security situation and climate change.

Denmark secures Dutch green partnership
Denmark and the Netherlands have developed a partnership to find solutions for greener energy systems and to work towards the EU’s climate goal. The partnership stipulates that both countries will work towards climate neutrality in the EU before 2050. It also underlines the use of CCUS emission reduction technology for the goal to be met. The agreement also involves a mutual ambition towards reducing CO2 emissions and to investigate the necessities of transporting large vehicles across EU borders.

Minister meeting at the Pentagon
Defence minister Morten Bødskov made a trip to the US last week to meet with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in the Pentagon. The meeting confirmed the continuance of the bilateral defence relationship between Denmark and the US – a partnership that will exceed the one already developed through NATO. The two countries will remain committed to supporting Ukraine in its defence against Russia.

Aid to assist Moldovan Defence
Over the course of the next year, Moldova will receive 10 million kroner from Denmark in support of their military defence in wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The decision has sprung from a meeting involving foreign minister Jeppe Kofod and his counterparts from Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. The invasion has led to Moldova taking in many Ukrainian refugees and the country is concerned that it could become the Kremlin’s next target.

German minister visits Copenhagen
The German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, visited Copenhagen last week to discuss how Denmark and Germany can strengthen their partnership relating to climate development. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused energy policies to be more important than ever and both countries are proud of the fact that they have made political decisions to not be dependent on Russian fossil fuels. The meeting also involved a discussion on healthcare, peace-building efforts and digitalisation.

Nordic minister of defence meeting focuses on Russia
Russia’s threats of using nuclear weapons means that the Nordic countries will need to improve their military defence, especially via NATO. The defence minister, Morten Bødskov, has said that the Russian military is incredibly aggressive and the invasion has caused a security issue throughout Europe as instability and conflict has spread. “It is urgent that we work to improve our security and co-operation within our region,” said Bødskov.

Denmark sought to pay respects to Gorbachev
The assistant head of the Danish embassy in Moscow applied to be the Danish representative at Mikhail Gorbachev’s funeral last week. The former president of the Soviet Union who passed away on August 30 aged 91. Unlike former president Boris Yeltsin, Gorbachev was not given state funeral by the Kremlin. While the Russian government still arranged the funeral and a guard of honour for Gorbachev, Vladimir Putin did not attend due to him having ”other responsibilities”.