The headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva.
Martin Ruetschi
The Swiss-run International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is planning to cut dozens of posts owing to financial pressures linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Swiss public radio, RTS.
The international organisation is reportedly struggling to meet its annual budget estimated at CHF2.2 billion ($2.4 billion), while the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the need for humanitarian aid, RTS said on Monday.
Meanwhile, traditional donors have faced budgetary pressures caused by the virus.
The ICRC is expected to announce a cost-cutting plan in the coming days, including the elimination of posts, particularly at its Geneva headquarters and among expatriate staff, RTS said. This could affect around 100 posts and lead to several dozen redundancies, it reported. The ICRC has 1,000 employees in Geneva, and 18,000 worldwide.
“People are worried and are waiting for information to find out whether they will be personally affected,” said Rose-Marie Mota, president of the ICRC staff association, in a statement.
The ICRC confirmed to RTS that it was preparing cost-saving measures.
“We are facing difficult but necessary decisions. We do not underestimate the concerns of our staff and will endeavour to minimise job losses. Every effort will be made to support the colleagues concerned,” said an ICRC spokesperson.
“Only by taking such measures can we continue to assist and protect the victims of armed conflict. The ICRC has had to deal with many global crises since its creation some 160 years ago. We remain confident that we will also overcome this crisis despite the uncertainty, while remaining true to our values and principles.”
UN financial problems
Other international organisations are also struggling financially amid the pandemic. The UN Office in Geneva says it is facing an “extremely difficult financial situation”.
“An accumulation of non-payment of assessments by some member states, and late payments by others, has led to an acute shortage of liquidity which has forced the UN to place restrictions on the level and timing of funding being released throughout the organisation, as well as the implementation of a recruitment freeze,” it said.
German-speaking Swiss public radio, SRF, said on Wednesday that funding problems had led to a freeze on jobs at the UN in Geneva. Jobs that became vacant were not being replaced and temporary contracts were being terminated, SRF said.
Popular Stories
More
Climate adaptation
Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world
This content was published on
Solar energy pioneer Raphaël Domjan and his team continued preparations for the altitude record attempt at 10,000 metres with the SolarStratos solar aircraft.
This content was published on
Cattle in the canton of Geneva and in the neighbouring region of Terre Sainte in the canton of Vaud are being vaccinated against the contagious viral skin nodule disease. The first cases of the animal disease were reported at the end of June in France, just outside Geneva.
Fewer attacks on Swiss ATMs but their future remains uncertain
This content was published on
Bank ATMs in Switzerland are less prone to attacks by criminals, but their future remains uncertain given the less active use of cash by the population.
This content was published on
A series of rockfalls occurred above the village of Brienz between 9 and 12 July. According to the municipality of Albula, the overall situation remains tense. Several people disregarded the ban on entering the area around the village.
This content was published on
Arosa Bergbahnen achieved the highest figure in its 95-year history in the 2024/25 financial year with net revenue of CHF 37 million. Arosa Lenzerheide was able to capitalise on strengths such as snow reliability and the size of the ski area in a long winter season, the company announced on Thursday.
This content was published on
Unknown perpetrators stole ceramic dental implants during a break-in at a company in Oensingen, northern Switzerland, on Tuesday night.
Euro 2025: Bern prepares for massive parade ahead of Switzerland-Spain game
This content was published on
The last Euro 2025 match to be played in Bern, the quarterfinal between Spain and Switzerland at 9pm on Friday, promises to be a great celebration of football.
Clariant faces further ethylene price-fixing claim
This content was published on
Swiss chemicals group Clariant is facing a further claim for damages in connection with ethylene price-fixing agreements.
This content was published on
The Grande Dixence dam in Lower Valais is closed to visitors due to a rockfall last weekend. The nearby hotel also had to temporarily suspend operations for safety reasons.
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
Red Cross launches CHF3 billion pandemic appeal
This content was published on
The joint appeal builds on an earlier one launched on 26 March 2020 and aims to “increase life-saving services and support to address both the immediate impacts of the pandemic and its long-lasting social and economic repercussions”, a statement said on May 28External link. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is working hand in hand…
Geneva NGOs face uncertain future due to Covid-19 funding impact
This content was published on
NGOs in Geneva may have been relatively spared by the pandemic in the short term but the funding outlook is bleak, according to a survey.
UN interns feel ‘left behind’ amid coronavirus pandemic
This content was published on
Interns at United Nations agencies say their precarious work situation has been exacerbated with the outbreak of the virus.
This content was published on
The United Nations is facing a cashflow crisis, as 63 states – including its largest contributor, the United States – have not paid their annual dues.
International Geneva – why is it so important to Switzerland?
This content was published on
“The biggest multilateral centre in the world”, “the foremost centre of global governance" – what exactly is International Geneva?
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.