Coronavirus Switzerland

Coronavirus

We appeal to you for help! Show your solidarity with those who are most severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic! THANK YOU for your donation and for strictly observing the protective measures set by the government.

Status of donations: CHF 44,386,389.

Donations to the Coronavirus Switzerland appeal will go exclusively towards projects to help people in Switzerland who are particularly affected by the virus and the measures to contain it. We are also collecting for projects abroad:

Coronavirus International

How your donation helps in Switzerland

Here in Switzerland we focus on funding projects that provide additional support to that offered by the Confederation and the cantons.

We have two main long-standing partners with whom we work to provide this support: Caritas Switzerland and the Swiss Red Cross.

Nine further national organizations have built up their support for people in need: the Salvation Army (Heilsarmee), HEKS, Pro Infirmis, Pro Juventute, Pro Senectute (cantonal and intercantonal organizations), the Schweizerische Arbeiterhilfswerk SAH, Winterhilfe, the foundation Denk an mich and the umbrella organization of women's refuges, DAO.

As our appeal goes on and the amount donated increases, we are extending our cooperation to other partners – particularly those operating at local level – which provide a range of different forms of support. We are currently providing funds to over 100 organizations.

Who is the help for?

• They may also be individuals and families whose situations were challenging before the pandemic and who find themselves in an even more precarious financial situation, experiencing a significant loss of income combined with new expenses resulting from the official responses to the pandemic, such as additional costs incurred for compulsory home schooling.
• Elderly or disabled persons who live alone and/or are dependent on help from outside.
• Homeless people in need of accommodation and access to sanitary facilities.

Thanks to the generous donations we received, we were able to avoid unnecessary red tape and respond quickly to support the many people in Switzerland who were made more vulnerable by the pandemic. We have funded a total of 209 projects, and for that, we thank you with all our hearts.
Fabienne Vermeulen, Programme manager Switzerland

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If you need help

If you require immediate help because of the coronavirus pandemic, please contact one of the two organizations we are working with to provide emergency help. You will find links to your local branch on their websites:

• Caritas
• Swiss Red Cross

The coronavirus pandemic

On 16 March the Federal Council declared the situation in Switzerland to be ‘extraordinary'. In a period of just three weeks, the coronavirus crisis had turned into a pandemic. Now we all need to strictly observe the federal government measures to protect those in high-risk groups.

This crisis and the Covid19 virus pose a threat to our health and health systems, to our social fabric and to our economy. People already in need of care and protection are now even more vulnerable.

Solidarity

In order to get on top of the coronavirus pandemic we need to show our solidarity at all levels. Besides strictly observing the measures introduced by the federal government such as we need to show support for people who lack a social network.

For even when the federal and cantonal governments have provided the necessary funds to soften the blow for those hit by the economic crisis, there will still be people who need support. We are appealing for donations to help them cope with the crisis.

They may also be individuals and families whose situations were challenging before the pandemic and who find themselves in an even more precarious financial situation, experiencing a significant loss of income combined with new expenses resulting from the official responses to the pandemic, such as additional costs incurred for compulsory home schooling.

Coronavirus pandemic abroad

The donations raised in this appeal will only be used in Switzerland.

However, the crisis sparked by the virus and the measures introduced to contain it are also affecting the countries in which our partner NGOs operate.

So we have set up a separate appeal, Coronavirus International, to raise donations to fund projects run by our partner NGOs abroad. These are working to protect the local people from the virus and to ensure they have continued access to food and essential health services.