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Switzerland responds to new humanitarian needs in South Sudan

Civilian population of South Sudan

27.07.2016 — Press release EDA
In South Sudan thousands of people have fled the recent hostilities between rival political factions. These new outbreaks of violence have compounded the already considerable humanitarian needs in the country. Switzerland has decided to provide an additional CHF 2 million to alleviate the suffering of the local population.


Switzerland steps up its humanitarian commitment to the people fleeing the fighting in Iraq

This new Swiss contribution will help strengthen protection activities and access to drinking water for displaced civilians in central Iraq.

20.07.2016 — Press release EDA
A conference of donor countries was held today in Washington to mobilise funds to ensure better humanitarian support for the tens of thousands of internally displaced persons fleeing the fighting that has been ravaging Iraq since May. Switzerland has decided to allocate an additional CHF 1 million, increasing its commitment to CHF 10 million for 2016.



Switzerland donates ambulances to Syria's suffering population

Switzerland is financing twelve new ambulances to improve the situation of people suffering from the consequences of the war in Syria. © FDFA

18.07.2016 — Press release EDA
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has delivered twelve new ambulances to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC). A Swiss delegation accompanied the delivery in the Syrian capital Damascus. The ambulances are urgently needed in Syria because the country's health system has too few ambulances to cope with the enormous number of victims caused by the war, including attacks against hospitals.


"We want to create prospects through our work on the ground"

14.07.2016 — Article DEZA

For 20 years, Switzerland has been supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina in strengthening democracy, the rule of law, and its development into a market economy. Elisabeth von Capeller, assistant director at the SDC and head of its Cooperation with Eastern Europe Department, looks back at the evolving cooperation activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and talks about the challenges and prospects facing the country today.


Protecting human life and contributing to peace and security – federal government sets out its Humanitarian Demining Strategy 2016–2019

A group of women returning from work on the land pass a sign at the edge of a field warning ‘danger mines’.

11.07.2016 — Press release EDA
Some 50 million stockpiled anti-personnel mines and 2 million cluster munitions have been destroyed over the past 20 years. People are nevertheless still being killed by landmines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war on a daily basis despite international efforts in which Switzerland also plays an active role. The federal government has therefore laid down guidelines on its humanitarian demining engagement for the period 2016–19 and will continue to provide experts for UN demining programmes, support demining projects in the countries concerned and maintain its strategic partnership with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining.


Migration seen as enrichment through the lenses of five photographers

Five photographs documenting the positive aspects of migration won the SDC competition. © SDC

29.06.2016 — Article DEZA

An image is worth a thousand words. The SDC asked people who are going through the experience of migration to show through images the benefits it brings. More than 250 people from all around the world took part in the global photographic competition "The Other Side of Migration". The winners tell the stories behind these unique photographs.


2015: a watershed year for Swiss international cooperation

23.06.2016 — Press release EDA
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) are jointly publishing the 2015 Annual Report on Swiss International Cooperation, which is divided into five chapters. In 2015, Switzerland achieved an important milestone towards sustainable development by adopting the 2030 Agenda. It also continued its efforts to provide opportunities for people in its partner countries. In response to the proliferation of violent conflicts, the SDC provided emergency aid to victims on the ground and to forcibly displaced people.


Annual ICRC meeting with Swiss-chaired Donor Support Group

23.06.2016 — Press release EDA
Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter took part today in the annual meeting between the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and its principal donors. The ICRC Donor Support Group is currently chaired by Switzerland. Both ICRC President Peter Maurer and ICRC Director-General Yves Daccord are attending the two-day meeting in Bern from 23 to 24 June. The focus of the meeting is on strengthening partnerships with the private sector in humanitarian crises. This meeting marks the end of Switzerland's chairmanship of the ICRC Donor Support Group.


The Head of the FDFA meets the Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister

22.06.2016 — Press release EDA
Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter today received the Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Samdech Krolahom Sar Kheng. One of the aims of this courtesy visit was to strengthen bilateral relations to foster closer ties between Switzerland and the Southeast Asian region. The discussions also focused on the activities of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in Cambodia. The Head of the FDFA also addressed the political situation in Cambodia and expressed his wish to see the two main political parties revive the "culture of dialogue" agreed in 2014.


Photography exhibition Making Peace on display in an Arab country for the first time

Surrounded by a group of people, the Tunisian culture minister cuts a ribbon.

21.06.2016 — Article DEZA

A photography exhibition supported by Switzerland has opened on Avenue Habib Bourguiba in Tunis, a location that has come to symbolise the democratic transition in Tunisia. The Making Peace exhibition portrays Nobel Prize laureates and is part of the Democracy Without Borders initiative. Switzerland is supporting the transition to democracy in Tunisia through local projects.


Switzerland is intensifying its efforts to combat violence against women

Four Bolivian women, three of whom are carrying babies.

10.06.2016 — Article DEZA

Every year, millions of women and girls the world over fall victim to domestic violence. The SDC is stepping up its efforts to stop this from happening, launching two new projects in Mongolia and Bolivia to assist in the implementation of laws enacted to combat gender-based violence in the two countries.

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