Aid agencies launch campaign to help Ukraine war victims
Swiss-based Red Cross agencies have appealed for CHF250 million ($273 million) to provide food, water and shelter to millions of people in Ukraine, where the humanitarian situation is "deteriorating rapidly", and to those who have fled abroad.
This content was published on
3 minutes
swissinfo.ch/Reuters news agency, ug
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) – the world’s largest disaster relief network – issued the joint appeal as a huge Russian armoured column bore down on Kyiv, six days after Moscow’s invasion began.
“We need the funds in order to address the humanitarian needs which are already staggering – food, water, shelter, health care, psychological support – and they are growing by the hour,” Martin Schuepp, ICRC regional director for Europe and Central Asia, told a news briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.
A priority was to reach people detained during the conflict and the ICRC is in touch with all sides regarding visits to detainees, he said. All sides have an obligation to facilitate the return of dead bodies, and ICRC teams are ready to help but remain limited in their movement due to insecurity, he added.
There are already long-term disruptions to regular water and electricity supplies, and casualty figures keep rising as facilities struggle to cope, ICRC Director General Robert Mardini said in a press releaseExternal link.
Vulnerable people
The IFRC is focusing its aid on vulnerable and elderly people, including unaccompanied minors, single women with children and people with disabilities.
“A rapid response is needed to save lives,” said IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain.
“In the middle of so much suffering, it is heart-warming to see the level of global solidarity,” he said in a statement.
Swiss Solidarity has launched a fundraising campaign to help cope with an expected humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Donations can be paid via postal account 10-15000-6, adding the words “Crisis in Ukraine”.
In a first phase, the money will be used to help refugees in countries neighbouring Ukraine, notably in Poland. Swiss Solidarity works with charities and aid organisations, including Caritas, HEKS/EPER, the Swiss Red Cross, Helvetas, Medair, Médecins Sans Frontières and the Terre des hommes foundation.
If possible and if necessary, aid projects will also be supported in Ukraine.
The money goes exclusively towards humanitarian aid.
Swiss SolidarityExternal link is an independent foundation. It was born from a programme by the French-language public radio and is now the humanitarian arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, the parent company of SWI swissinfo.ch.
More
More
Aid agencies launch campaign to help Ukraine war victims
This content was published on
Swiss-based Red Cross agencies have appealed for CHF250 million to provide food, water and shelter to millions of people in Ukraine.
Switzerland will deliver rubble removal equipment to Ukraine
This content was published on
Thirty rubble removal machines and thirty fire-fighting pumps: this is the equipment that Switzerland will be delivering to the Ukraine in the next few days. The total value of these goods is 5.6 million Swiss francs.
A third of Swiss residents plan to change health insurers
This content was published on
After the announced sharp increase in premiums for 2025, about one in three people would be considering changing health insurance companies.
Swiss-led study unravels tree growth and longevity
This content was published on
Trees reach old age using different strategies. This is shown by a Swiss-led research team with over 100 scientists from all over the world in a new study, for which they analyzed trees that live to be over three thousand years old.
This content was published on
The man who injured three children on Tuesday has been detained in pre-trial custody after a request by the public prosecutor’s office.
Ukraine war prompts outpouring of sympathy from Swiss civil society
This content was published on
Several thousand people in Switzerland have again protested against Russia’s attack on Ukraine, amid calls to take in refugees fleeing the conflict.
Ukraine: ‘A shock for the world, a disgrace for Switzerland’
This content was published on
Media are generally critical of the government’s stance on Russia. But some acknowledge it is walking a diplomatic tightrope, with potential benefits.
Up to 2,000 Ukrainians could seek refuge in Switzerland
This content was published on
Depending on the duration and intensity of the war, a few hundred or up to 2,000 people could seek refuge in Switzerland.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.