Core Contribution to Swiss Red Cross 2027-2028

In recent years, the international environment has undergone rapid normative and geopolitical shifts, while funding for international cooperation (IC) has increasingly been deprioritised. At the same time, IC is confronted with a growing number of overlapping crises, including wars in Ukraine and Sudan. protracted conflicts in the Middle East, the Sahel, the DRC, Myanmar and Afghanistan, as well as rising food insecurity and the accelerating impacts of climate change. These crises disproportionately affect the most vulnerable and result in increasing humanitarian needs. Particular challenges include shrinking civic space, restricted humanitarian access, erosion of the rule of law, including international humanitarian law, forced displacement and persistent gender inequalities. As a result of these changes and challenges, the Swiss Red Cross and Swiss NGOs receiving core contributions must continuously adapt while diversifying their funding sources and demonstrating their added value for Swiss IC. 

The increase of armed conflicts and extreme and unpredictable natural disasters not only stretch the reduced humanitarian funds for preparedness and response but also puts SNSs in several of SRC’s partners countries into a continuous response mode, which is challenging to sustain. SRC aims to accelerate its efforts to advance locally led cooperation. Thus, it will closely engage with SNSs to enhance their effectiveness, credibility, and sustainability as nationally anchored humanitarian actors and organisations being auxiliary to national public services. SRC will also continue to actively contribute to the endeavours of the RCRC Movement.

Outcome 1 :

In 2025 SRC health programmes reached 1.7 million people, trained more than 6,600 health workers and RCRC staff and volunteers. SRC engaged with 16 SNSs on community health programmes and supported healthy ageing programmes in 17 countries. In addition, it collected more than 62,000 voluntary blood donations.

Outcome 2:

SRC responded to 48 emergencies working alongside 28 SNSs, with a primary focus on Asia-Pacific and Africa. A total of 29 SRC delegates were deployed, contributing to SRC’s ranking as the third-largest National Society deployer in 2025. Cash-based assistance reached over 78,000 people with CHF 2.68 million, addressing urgent needs in conflict-affected settings such as Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Lebanon, as well as climate-related shocks in Ethiopia, Nepal, and Bangladesh. SRC’s support in the field of recovery strengthened health infrastructure and livelihoods, notably improving medical services and protection in Ukraine and enabling earthquake-affected households and health services to recover in Syria. Overall, more than 331,000 were reached in 2025

Outcome 3:

SRC's programmes reached nearly 354,000 people on the move. Assistance and protection interventions supported over 271,000 people mainly across the Balkans, Bangladesh, Sudan, Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, and the Afghanistan–Pakistan context, providing humanitarian aid, health and psychosocial support, protection services, and route-based assistance through humanitarian service points, with high user satisfaction. At the global level, SRC contributed to the IFRC's migration strategy development, includinga global climate-relatedd isplacement approach .

Outcome 4:

SRC supported 32 SNS through targeted assistance in private source domestic fundraising (PSDF), preparedness, and risk and compliance management. PSDF support reached 12 SNS, enabling them to raise an average of 31% of their cash income domestically, with notable results from the Ukrainian Red Cross, which raised USD 5.1 million through expanded digital, individual, and partnership-based fundraising. In preparedness, SRC supported 26 SNS to enhance local readiness. In risk and compliance management, the SRC facilitated a regional workshop in fraud prevention and integrity risk management in West Africa.

Committed to Locally led cooperation (LLC), in 2025, SRC continues to move from a joint-implementation approach to an advisory and facilitator role towards SNSs in its partner countries. in particular, SRC has engaged with SNSs, including in Ukraine, to enable them to build a clear portfolio within their respective countries in order to truly fulfilling their auxiliary role to the public services in their respective countries.

SRC played an active role in dialogues between SDC and Swiss NGOs, including on LLC and the future of international cooperation. Furthermore, SRC also closely collaborated with SDC on issues related to the RCRC Movement.

1. Health and Care: The health status of vulnerable people has improved. 

2. Disaster, Climate and Crises: The resilience of people, groups and communities is strengthened.

3. International migration: Migrants feel safe, live with dignity, have choice and opportunity at every stage of their journey.

4. National Society Development: Sister National Societies fulfil their potential as effective local actors, by investing in their long-term development and programs tailored to context, needs and priorities.

The visibility of the value added by the Swiss NGO to the implementation of the Swiss IC Strategy 2025-28 shall be strengthened and highlighted through:

a. sharpening the narrative for the rationale of the core contribution;

b. an inclusive policy dialogue between SDC and its partner organisations;

c. implementation of locally-led cooperation;

d. relevant adaptations of programmes and approaches; and

e. evidence-based programming of quality funding.

Phase 20 01.01.2027 - 31.12.2028   (Active)