Donations to Covid-19 fundraiser top CHF15 million

The iconic Swiss mountain Matterhorn is lit up with a message of hope during the pandemic. Keystone / Valentin Flauraud

The humanitarian charity Swiss Solidarity has raised CHF15 million ($15.3 million) in the first two weeks of a campaign to help vulnerable sections of society during the coronavirus pandemic.

The humanitarian arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation had launched its latest campaign on March 23. It is calling for financial help to support the elderly and the homeless, as well as people in need who struggle to cope with dramatic income losses due to the restrictions ordered by the government.

Despite the success of the campaign so far, Swiss Solidarity said more money is still needed as demand from vulnerable sections of society continues to build up.

The money is being distributed to those in need by social partners such as Caritas, Pro Senectute and the Swiss section of the Red Cross.

“There are 630,000 people living in poverty in Switzerland,” Caritas director Hugo Fasel told Swiss public broadcaster SRFExternal link. Caritas provides food vouchers and distributes up to CHF1,000 in direct aid from Swiss Solidarity donations.

The charity appealed for continued community efforts and contributions via their website or their postal payment account 10-15000-6, using the reference “Coronavirus”.

Since it was established 74 years ago, Swiss Solidarity has collected more than CHF1.8 billion in public donations to fund projects both in Switzerland and abroad, including CHF34.7 million last year.