Switzerland musters a million francs in aid for Haiti quake
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
The Swiss government and several Swiss humanitarian aid organisations have sent or are planning to send money and help to Haiti following last Saturday’s earthquake.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/Keystone-SDA; dos, ug
Español
es
Gobierno y ONG suizos se movilizan en favor de Haití
The government will send around CHF1 million ($1.09 million), the foreign ministry told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Tuesday.
Some of this has already been allocated: CHF250,000 each for the United Nations and the International Federation of Red Cross Societies, with a further CHF100,000 destined for the Swiss Red Cross, the foreign ministry said.
After the earthquake – which has led to over 1,400 deaths – struck on Saturday, a crisis cell was organised in Bern, the foreign ministry explained. Specialist teams are also on site in Port-Salut, the most affected part of Haiti. They are distributing tarpaulin for shelter, as well as fresh-water distribution tanks of 5,000 litres each. Architects and risk-reduction professionals, already in Haiti with the Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development, have also been mobilised.
The foreign ministry is also considering whether it will dispatch a team from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit.
More
More
Haiti ten years on: the lasting benefits of Swiss donations and aid
This content was published on
On January 12, 2010, an earthquake devastated Haiti. Swiss aid work included providing water and rebuilding homes.
Also on Tuesday, the Swiss Protestant Aid organisation HEKS said it would be sending some CHF500,000 to Haiti to help try to clear the “immense damage” caused by the quake.
Aid group Helvetas, who wrote on Tuesday that “the poorest have been worst affected” by the disaster – as they were by the massive earthquake in Haiti 11 years ago – has also sent CHF150,000.
According to the group, the earthquake has compounded the acute political crisis that’s been ongoing in Haiti since the murder of its President a month ago; criminal gangs make daily life unsafe, while state structures are barely functioning, Helvetas said.
The Swiss Solidarity charity is also currently calling for donations to help the victims of the tremor. Money can pledged through the postal account 10-15000-6 or using the online address www.swiss-solidarity.orgExternal link.
Swiss Solidarity, the fundraising arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation – swissinfo.ch’s parent company – has been active in Haiti in the past. It collected more than CHF71 million ($78 million) for emergency aid and reconstruction projects following the earthquake in 2010 and a hurricane in 2016, the organisation said.
Popular Stories
More
Banking & Fintech
UBS releases ‘hundreds’ of staff in fresh wave of job cuts
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
‘Confederation is a subsidy machine’: Swiss finance minister
This content was published on
The Swiss government is a machine for distributing subsidies to various actors in the country, says finance minister Karin Keller-Sutter.
Lack of funds ends third bid to salvage Säntis ship from Swiss lake
This content was published on
A third attempt to salvage the steamship Säntis, lying at the bottom of Lake Constance in Switzerland since 1933, has failed before it has even begun.
Nestlé Waters on trial in France over illegal waste dumps
This content was published on
Bottled water producer Nestlé Waters to stand trial, accused of illegally dumping waste and maintaining unauthorised dumps.
Swiss army chiefs defend botched procurement projects
This content was published on
Swiss defense Minister and military heads defend against parliamentary and media criticisms of problematic procurement projects.
Swiss cheese exports recorded second-best year in 2024
This content was published on
A total 79,268 tons of Swiss cheese worth CHF748.5 million was exported abroad in 2024 - a 7.9% increase in annual sales from the previous year.
This content was published on
Insects benefit from storm devastation, says a 20-year study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research.
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
Disaster relief: what really works?
This content was published on
In Indonesia, the overriding theme seems to be the same as in the past: 'where is the aid and why is it taking so long to arrive?'
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.