Procedures for the provision of humanitarian aid by Latvia are set out in the Republic of Latvia Cabinet Regulation No. 721 adopted on 12 December 2017, Procedures for the Receipt and Provision of Humanitarian Aid, in Paragraph 3.6 of the Republic of Latvia Cabinet Regulation No. 42 adopted on 18 January 2011, By-law of the Crisis Management Council on the possibilities of providing aid to a foreign country in a crisis situation, and in The Development Cooperation Policy Guidelines for 2021–2027.
Latvia mainly provides humanitarian assistance in line with the needs of the affected countries through voluntary contributions to international organisations or, in some cases, at the request of the beneficiary country, through direct transfers to the beneficiary country and through supplies of primary necessities.
In 2021, Latvia’s humanitarian assistance was EUR 7.98 million (incl. EUR 1.54 million to refugees), in 2022, EUR 74.11 million (incl. EUR 63.76 million to refugees) and in 2023, EUR 53.82 million (incl. EUR 40.76 million to refugees).
Support was mainly provided for:
- people affected by hostilities;
- refugees;
- mitigating the consequences of natural disasters;
- promoting civil protection.
Ukraine has received the most support since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. From February 2022 to April 2024, the Latvian state and society have supported Ukraine with more than EUR 796 million in total, including EUR 56 million in humanitarian aid. For the most part, this is aid to refugees, war victims and the media.