Nobel Peace Prize Money To Help 23,000 Child Refugees

(Left to right): The president of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, and the president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz collect the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the EU in Oslo on December 10.

The European Union will donate its Nobel Peace Prize money to projects aiding around 23,000 child refugees.

The European Commission said on December 18 that the 930,000-euro ($1.2 million) prize will be increased to a total of 2 million euros with additional EU money.

The funds will go to supporting 4,000 Syrian refugee children in northern Iraq, 5,000 Colombian displaced children, 11,000 Congolese displaced children and child refugees in Ethiopia, and 3,000 Pakistani children in the conflict-affected north of the country.

The projects will be carried out by some of the leading international aid organizations, including the UN agencies UNICEF and UNHCR.

The EU was awarded the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize on December 10 in Oslo.

With reporting by dpa