Swiss call for humanitarian access in war-torn Syria
About a million civilians have been displaced since December inside Syria near the Turkish border in desperate winter conditions.
Keystone/Erdem Sahin
Switzerland has again expressed concern about the escalating military conflict in north-eastern Syria, calling on the warring parties to return to the negotiating table.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch and Reuters/ug
In a statement published on Friday, the Swiss foreign ministryExternal link urged all parties to respect international humanitarian law, saying the fighting in Idlib province has had serious consequences for the civilian population.
The ministry also wants the warring parties to grant humanitarian organisation permanent access to the population in need.
Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and Slovenia launched a first appeal during the current session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, meeting in Geneva, on Thursday.
At least 134 civilians have been killed as fighting between Russian-back Syrian government troops and the Turkish army escalated at the beginning of February.
The UN Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting on Friday in New York to discuss the escalating conflict in the war-torn region, the last major opposition stronghold in the conflict-torn country.
More
More
Swiss minister warns against spread of online hate speech
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis has warned against the dangers of online hate speech.
Heavy snowfall in Switzerland causes traffic chaos and accidents
This content was published on
The heavy snowfall late on Thursday and during the night into Friday led to traffic chaos and many accidents in many regions of Switzerland.
Chimpanzee behaviours passed down through generations
This content was published on
Some of the complex behaviours of chimpanzees have been passed down and refined over generations. These include the combination of several tools for foraging.
More than 600,000 rounds of Swiss sniper ammunition reach Ukraine
This content was published on
Sniper ammunition from Swiss P Defence reached Ukraine via a Polish company in July 2023, reported SRF Investigativ on Thursday, citing official information.
Environment minister outlines Swiss efforts to limit global warming
This content was published on
Switzerland will do its part to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celcius, said Environment Minister Albert Rösti, who's attending COP29 in Baku.
This content was published on
Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled.
Assisted suicide: Sarco inventor defends himself against killing rumours
This content was published on
Sarco inventor Philip Nitschke has defended himself against rumours that one of his colleagues assisted in the suicide of a woman in Schaffhausen, northern Switzerland.
Too much attention paid to queer people, says Swiss survey
This content was published on
Most Swiss are well disposed towards LGBTQ people, according to a study. However, prejudice and intolerance persist in certain sectors of society, particularly towards transgender and intersex people.
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
Could a Geneva meeting open the door to peace in Syria?
This content was published on
Here's a short guide to the first meeting of Syria’s Constitutional Committee in Geneva, aimed at mapping a political way forward for the country.
Idlib offensive could kill or displace ‘large numbers’ of Syrians
This content was published on
Switzerland is alarmed by increased hostilities in and around Idlib province in north-western Syria, the last big rebel enclave.
Switzerland urges talks as violence rises in Syria’s Idlib
This content was published on
Russia-backed Syrian government forces have recently intensified their bombardment of rebel-held territory in Idlib, a Syrian province bordering Turkey. “The offensive launched just a few days ago has serious consequences for the already suffering civilian population in this region,” the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement published on Wednesday.External link As the Syrian…
Swiss man arrested en route to Idlib, charged with terrorism
This content was published on
A Swiss man headed to the Syrian town of Idlib with a load of weapons was arrested at the Bulgarian-Turkish border and charged with "terrorism."
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.