Swiss Solidarity appeals for donations for Ukraine

Swiss Solidarity appeals for donations for Ukraine Keystone-SDA

Swiss Solidarity continues to appeal for donations for Ukraine. Three years after the Russian invasion of the country, the humanitarian situation is more critical than ever. Millions of people are facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

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Swiss Solidarity, the humanitarian arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), has already used 80% of the donations received since 2022 to support the affected population in Ukraine, according to a statement on Thursday.

Thanks to the solidarity of the Swiss population, Swiss Solidarity has collected a total of CHF137.3 million ($151 million) in donations for Ukraine. This was the second-largest donation collection in the foundation’s history. As international funding for humanitarian aid is falling drastically, Swiss Solidarity is renewing its appeal for solidarity.

Since 2022, Swiss Solidarity has financed 134 projects thanks to the solidarity of the Swiss population, helping 4.9 million people. In cooperation with partner organisations such as Caritas, the Swiss Red Cross, Helvetas, Medair and Terre des hommes, the aid organisation is focusing, for example, on supporting internally displaced persons, repairing houses and important infrastructure, and providing access to medical care by rebuilding medical facilities and caring for vulnerable people.

Population at the end of their tether

More than 14.6 million people in Ukraine are currently in need of humanitarian aid, the report continued. The destroyed infrastructure is further worsening the humanitarian situation.

Of the approximately 40 million people who lived in Ukraine before the Russian invasion in February 2022, around seven million have fled abroad – mainly to the West – and several million have been displaced within their own country. This means that a quarter to a third of Ukraine’s total population is on the run from Russian attacks.

According to Swiss Solidarity, access to water and electricity, shelter and medical care remains a daily challenge for millions of civilians. The population is at the end of its tether and the fighting continues. Many families have been forced to flee and the living conditions of the displaced people continue to deteriorate.

Today, there is an urgent need to help as close as possible to the front lines and in the areas where the displaced people live. Without further financial support, this work could cease as early as next year, warned Swiss Solidarity.

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

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