There are an estimated 60 million guns in war-torn Yemen, which has a population of 18 million.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-ATS/ds
The Swiss-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) opposes the relaxation of rules governing Switzerland’s export of war materiel to countries involved in civil wars. ICRC president Peter Maurer is also urging the Alpine nation to raise its “humanitarian profile.”
With decisions such as relaxing the regulation of arms exports and delaying the ratification of the international treaty to ban nuclear weapons, Switzerland “has lost credibility and reliability as a humanitarian actor,” Maurer said in remarks broadcast on Saturday by Swiss Public Radio, SRF.
The relaxation of the ordinance on war materiel, decided in June by the Federal Council and supported by the parliamentary committee, would allow arms to be exported to countries in internal conflict, if there is no reason to believe that the arms will be used in this conflict. Today, this type of trade is prohibited if the destination country is in armed conflict, internationally or internally.
Mauer said the political message being sent by Swiss policymakers is regrettable.
The ICRC knows with some certainty that this war materiel will sooner or later be used in war zones, Maurer added. On the ground, the organisation often comes across weapons that are exports from highly developed countries, and which had been shelved for some time.
War zones, he noted, are “over-supplied with weapons,” which exacerbates the situation.
The ICRC currently has a budget of around CHF 2 billion ($2.1 billion). According to Maurer, Switzerland is “the fifth largest provider of funds”, giving only CHF150 million.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Gold-digging: why some Swiss bury their wealth in the garden
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
New European space tech centre in Switzerland launches its first project
This content was published on
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), launched in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is to be located in the immediate vicinity of the PSI in northern Switzerland.
Swiss Federal Railways launches campaign for safety on public transport
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways is launching a campaign for greater respect and safety on public transport, with posters to go up in stations and on trains starting next week.
Swiss scientists to use AI for improved weather and climate forecasts
This content was published on
MeteoSwiss and the Swiss Data Science Center have signed a four-year agreement to make greater use of AI in meteorology and climatology going forward.
This content was published on
Prices of owner-occupied homes rose in the third quarter of 2024 by 0.5%, with inflation affecting both apartments and single-family houses, says the Federal Statistical Office.
This content was published on
The honey harvest is projected to be lower than usual this year, as Swiss beekeepers report harvesting an average of just 16kg of honey per bee colony.
More young refugees in Switzerland following vocational training
This content was published on
More than half of young refugees and temporarily admitted persons between the ages of 16 and 25 are now in training. This is significantly more than five years ago.
One in five Swiss children suffers psychological abuse at home
This content was published on
In Switzerland, one in five children suffers psychological violence, and one in three has witnessed psychological violence between parents, says the association Kinderschutz Schweiz.
Swiss government minister breaks silence over Trump remarks controversy
This content was published on
Transport Minister Albert Rösti explained himself in a television interview on Sunday evening, after being called out for expressing support for Donald Trump.
Swiss Covid expert calls for caution on vaccination recommendations
This content was published on
The head of the vaccination commission would be “even more cautious today” when it comes to Covid-19 vaccination recommendations.
Does Switzerland still punch above its weight ethically?
This content was published on
The moral stature of Kofi Annan and his association with Geneva and Switzerland raise the question of Switzerland’s moral stature as well.
Initiative calls for end to ‘warmongering with our money’
This content was published on
A total of 104,902 had been confirmed as valid, said the pacifist Group for a Switzerland Without an Army, the Young Green Party and the Association for a Ban on Arms Dealing. People’s initiatives must be signed by at least 100,000 citizens within an 18-month period in order to be considered for a vote at…
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.