Switzerland increases winter aid for war-torn Ukraine
Switzerland is again supporting the suffering population in Ukraine this winter and is increasing its contribution by CHF11.8 million ($13.7 million). The hardship in Ukraine is a consequence of the military invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In total, the Swiss government is spending around CHF26 million on winter aid measures, the foreign ministry announced on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the government is supporting several non-governmental organisations in providing life-saving protection as part of winter aid. For example, it has enabled repairs to almost 1,000 flats and houses and the distribution of heating material to around 1,300 households in frontline areas.
In addition, experts from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit have helped to repair water supply pipes and pumping stations over the past few months in order to ensure district heating and clean drinking water.
+ Switzerland to host Ukraine peace talks in January
Putin gave the order to launch a military invasion of Ukraine on February 24 last year. Since then, numerous Russian war crimes against the Ukrainian civilian population have come to light. Thousands of children have been abducted, and just a few days ago the UN documented the torture of civilians in Russian captivity.
The material damage to buildings and infrastructure throughout the country alone is estimated at hundreds of billions of francs.
In an essay in the summer of 2021, Putin denied the southern neighbour Ukraine the right to exist as a state and emphasised that Ukrainians and Russians are one people. The Kremlin in Moscow also accuses the Ukrainian leadership of opening the door for the Western military alliance NATO to threaten Russia with an imminent further expansion eastwards.
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