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The humanitarian crises in Sudan and the Middle East, the severe weather in Switzerland and the war in Ukraine were the focus of our work last year.

Depuis plus d’un an, le Soudan est dévasté par un conflit meurtrier qui a plongé la région dans l'une des pires crises humanitaires au monde. Face à cette situation alarmante, nous lançons un appel urgent à la solidarité afin d’intensifier notre aide au Soudan et dans la région.

n 2023, against a backdrop of increasing crises, Swiss Solidarity (SwS) maintained its unwavering commitment to those hit by humanitarian crises. Last year, the organisation committed almost CHF 70 million to supporting the victims of humanitarian crises worldwide and vulnerable people in Switzerland. This is the single largest annual amount since 2005, when Swiss Solidarity responded to the tsunami in South-East Asia. Over the course of 2023, Swiss Solidarity raised over CHF 54 million in donations thanks to the solidarity of the people of Switzerland.

Swiss Solidarity has published its second solidarity barometer. Carried out by the Sotomo research institute in collaboration with the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation and the Center for Philantrophy Studies (CEPS), the aim of the survey is to analyse changes in the Swiss population's perception of solidarity. The survey reveals that the perception of human relations has improved considerably since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The war in the Middle East has already claimed thousands of lives, most of them civilians. The situation is particularly precarious for the 2.4 million people of the Gaza Strip. They have been cut off from water, food, medicine and electricity since 9 October.

The past few days have seen a series of humanitarian crises severely disrupt the lives of many thousands of people. Of particular concern is the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has already led to thousands of deaths.

On Saturday 7 October, a violent 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck western Afghanistan. Early estimates place the death toll at close to 2,500, and the number of injured in the thousands. As Afghanistan had already been dealing with a grave humanitarian crisis before the quake struck, the country will not be able to recover from this latest disaster on its own. To bring urgent and vital aid to the Afghan people, Swiss Solidarity (SwS) is launching an appeal for solidarity.

Six months ago, devastating earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria. Thousands of people lost their lives, millions more were left completely destitute and lost the roof over their heads in one fell swoop. These were the worst earthquakes to hit the region in the last 30 years. In view of the scale of this disaster, Swiss Solidarity has appealed for donations for relief. The situation remains difficult for the people affected. Thanks to your donations, we can give these people hope again.

The storm that hit the town of La Chaux-de-Fonds and its surroundings on July 24 2023 caused considerable damage, one was killed and forty people were injured. A wave of solidarity quickly set in. Affected people receive help through several citizens' initiatives.

On 23 November 2022, exactly 6 months ago, Swiss Solidarity organised a national day of solidarity for East Africa in order to help people affected by the devastating drought. So far, the foundation has deployed around 80% of the 14 million Swiss francs received in more than 20 humanitarian projects in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, providing aid to almost half a million people. However, the situation in the Horn of Africa remains precarious and the population is still dependent on support.

In the Horn of Africa, over 36 million people are in need of aid due to the worst drought in 40 years and rising food prices. To address the scale of this humanitarian crisis and expand aid in the affected countries, Swiss Solidarity is organising a national day of solidarity on 23 November with the support of the SRG. An appeal for donations will be made on TV and radio channels and online from 07:00 to 23:00.