The Swiss public has expressed its solidarity for the victims of the war in Yemen, donating more than CHF3.1 million ($3.1 million) on Thursday to a collection by Swiss Solidarity.
The collection was organised in partnership with the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, swissinfo.ch’s parent company, and will go to organisations that help civil society in Yemen, especially those in the field of health, hygiene and drinking water supply.
For four years Yemen, located on the south-western tip of the Arabian Peninsula, has been wracked by a bitter civil war, which has weakened the local population and shattered the health system, Swiss Solidarity saysExternal link.
Some 24 million people – 80% of the population – are dependent on aid, with 1.8 million children suffering from undernourishment. This makes it the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the UNExternal link.
On Thursday, nearly 400 volunteers took turns throughout the day to collect pledges at telephone centres in Chur, Geneva, Lugano and Zurich. The money raised will enable Swiss Solidarity to co-finance the most urgent projects of partner organisations, such as Adra, Handicap International, Médecins sans Frontières and Save the Children.
The foundation has already made CHF1 million available to its partners.
While the dedicated collection day is over, fundraising remains open and donations can be made onlineExternal link or via postal account 10-15000-6 (“Yemen”). Payment slips from Swiss Solidarity are also available in all postal offices.
Students at EPFL in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied a building at the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) on Tuesday, mirroring a peaceful demonstration at the nearby University of Lausanne (UNIL).
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
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.
Read more
More
Geneva donor conference aims to drum up aid for Yemen
This content was published on
Switzerland has pledged a total of CHF13.5 million in humanitarian aid for the country, whose citizens continue to suffer under fighting and famine.
This content was published on
“After a lull at the end of last week, fighting has intensified in the last two days,” testified Sanaa Mirella Hodeib, a spokesperson for the ICRC delegation in Yemen, on Wednesday. “While the city of Hodeida is surrounded by fighting, the port itself has not yet been affected,” she noted. “Humanitarian aid can therefore still…
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.