The explosion in Beirut on August 4 killed at least 200 people.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Six Swiss medical experts have flown to Lebanon to help with the aftermath of the massive dockside explosion in Beirut. Switzerland has also donated CHF5 million ($5.5 million) and previously sent 20 aid workers to the Middle East country.
The latest team of specialists are accompanied by 1.5 tons of medical equipment, in the areas of surgery, paediatrics and obstetrics. The huge blast on August 4 tore down buildings in a wide radius, killing more than 200 people, injuring thousands and leaving some 300,000 homeless.
In a statement on Friday, the government said experts from the Swiss Corps for Humanitarian Aid had completed checks on 80 buildings in Beirut and were working on repairing two hospitals. It is hoped that one hospital would be functional in the next few days.
The Swiss team will also work on six schools to get them up and running by mid-September. Around 120 schools in the city were damaged by the explosion.
Of the CHF5 million already pledged by Switzerland, CHF4 million will be directed at the health and education sectors. A further CHF1 million will be allocated equally to the Lebanese Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
It is still unclear what sparked the fire that ignited nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate that were stored for years in Beirut’s port next to densely populated residential areas.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Switzerland wants to examine cooperation with the EU in the defence sector
This content was published on
The Federal Council wants to examine a security and defence partnership with the EU. Exploratory talks are to begin as soon as possible. Among other things, the partnership would be used for defence procurement.
Swiss trial shows organic farming is 85% as productive as conventional agriculture
This content was published on
This is shown by the results of a globally unique open-air trial that has been running for 47 years in Therwil in the canton of Basel-Landschaft.
Nestlé fined by Swiss canton for illegally filtered water
This content was published on
Nestlé has been fined CHF 500,000 in the canton of Vaud for the unauthorised use of activated carbon filters in the production of mineral water. The filters were used to produce Henniez water from 2008 to 2022.
Swiss government proposes restrictions on Ukrainian refugees
This content was published on
Only those whose life and limb are at risk in Ukraine and who flee to Switzerland are to be granted S status in future. The remaining Ukrainian refugees should apply for asylum. This is what the Federal Council is proposing.
This content was published on
The Fribourg parliament approved a sum of CHF6.4 million to renovate the ramparts, the walkway and the towers, as well as to replace the exterior lighting.
Swiss rental housing listings increase for the first time in three years
This content was published on
For the first time in three years, the number of advertisements for rental accommodation is on the rise, but this does not dampen demand, quite the contrary. In Ticino, the average duration of an advertisement published on the main portals is 30 days.
Switzerland doing relatively well when it comes to child vaccination rates
This content was published on
Progress in child immunisation has stalled. For decades, the number of children vaccinated against measles, polio and other diseases has risen. But since 2010, vaccination rates have stagnated in many countries, according to a study.
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
Second Swiss humanitarian aid team dispatched to Beirut
This content was published on
The Swiss Humanitarian Aid Corps workers are accompanied by three damage site experts from the armed forces, the foreign ministry said on Thursday. An initial team of ten Swiss experts, comprising of engineers, infrastructure specialists, a security advisor, a logistician, a telecommunications manager and a psychologist, have been in Lebanon since Thursday to evaluate the…
Switzerland pledges CHF4 million to support Lebanese
This content was published on
Some 30 countries and organisations took part in the online fundraising summit on Sunday, which was organized by French President Emmanuel Macron. Switzerland was represented by Manuel Bessler, head of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Corps, the Swiss foreign ministry told the Keystone-SDA news agency. The money will flow into Lebanon under the supervision of the…
Swiss offer help to Lebanon after deadly blast in Beirut
This content was published on
Switzerland has sent its condolences to the government of Lebanon following an explosion in the capital Beirut, killing at least 100 people.
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.