Swiss Abroad

First military personnel arrive in Sumatra

This content was published on Jan 10, 2005 Meanwhile, the foreign ministry has announced that the number of Swiss missing in the Asian tidal waves has fallen to 280. The defence ministry said on Sunday that nine military employees had arrived in the town of Medan on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Their main task will be to prepare the ground for the…

Swiss Politics

Governments asked to fulfil aid promises

This content was published on Jan 10, 2005 The United Nations emergency relief coordinator, Jan Egeland, has opened Tuesday’s conference, which aims to come up with a coordinated relief response to the disaster. According to the United Nations, as many as five million people are in need of basic services throughout southeast Asia, which was devastated by killer waves just over two weeks…

Swiss Politics

Swiss welcome landmark Sudan peace deal

This content was published on Jan 9, 2005 The treaty was signed on Sunday in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi in the presence of foreign dignitaries including United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. “The foreign ministry hopes that the parties will do everything to actively put the peace accord into practice and that… they will benefit from support from the international community,”…

Swiss Politics

People’s Party votes against EU labour accord

This content was published on Jan 8, 2005 The move comes despite an appeal by Justice Minister and People’s Party figurehead Christoph Blocher for the party to follow the government’s line and support the accord. At a meeting in La Chaux-de-Fonds on Saturday the People’s Party voted overwhelmingly against the accord by 297 votes to 94. Most delegates followed the argument taken by…

Swiss Politics

Relief organisations agree to cooperate

This content was published on Jan 7, 2005 But differences have emerged among them over the form that Swiss assistance to southeast Asia should take. Meeting in Bern on Friday, the aid organisations said they hoped that by pulling together they would be able to get aid to the survivors more quickly. The exchange of information forum was attended by representatives of the…

Swiss Politics

Long road to recovery

This content was published on Jan 7, 2005 Toni Frisch was speaking to swissinfo from Indonesia, where he has been inspecting the extent of tidal-wave damage in the northern province of Aceh. Around 80 Swiss experts are currently providing humanitarian assistance for the hundreds of thousands of people left homeless after the December 26 undersea quake off the coast of Sumatra. Switzerland is…

Relief effort gathers pace

This content was published on Jan 3, 2005 swissinfo takes a look at where the money is being spent and how Swiss disaster-relief experts are being deployed. Swiss assistance for victims of the tsunami disaster is being coordinated by the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit, a division of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The SDC has sent disaster-management and emergency-relief experts…

Respite over for Vaud asylum seekers

This content was published on Jan 3, 2005 Those affected had their residency applications turned down in August and they face the prospect of being forcibly repatriated. The majority are from former Yugoslavia and include many who fled their homes after war broke out in the region during the 1990s. However, there is still some light at the end of the tunnel for…

Swiss Politics

Calmy-Rey takes stock of tidal disaster

This content was published on Jan 2, 2005 Calmy-Rey flew to the country on Saturday for a first-hand look at the situation and to visit Swiss who have been affected by the disaster. The Swiss foreign ministry in Bern said on Sunday it now feared that 111 Swiss citizens had lost their lives, although the number of confirmed dead remains at 16. The…

Swiss Politics

Schmid thanks Swiss for their solidarity

This content was published on Jan 1, 2005 In his New Year’s speech on Saturday, he called for optimism and confidence, warning that fear had little place in today’s society. The United Nations now estimates that 150,000 people have been killed in the Asian tragedy. “The catastrophe in Asia has, by its sheer size, surpassed everything that we could possibly imagine,” Schmid said…

Swiss Abroad

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Swiss Abroad

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First military personnel arrive in Sumatra

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Governments asked to fulfil aid promises

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Swiss welcome landmark Sudan peace deal

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People’s Party votes against EU labour accord

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Relief organisations agree to cooperate

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Long road to recovery

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Relief effort gathers pace

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Respite over for Vaud asylum seekers

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Calmy-Rey takes stock of tidal disaster

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Schmid thanks Swiss for their solidarity

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