UKRAINE EMERGENCY - Swiss Solidarity Humanitarian Response Plan
Project location: Ukraine
Project start date: March 2022 -
Project end date: This project covers various years
Project number: 2022-003
Beneficiary: Fondation Suisse De La Chaîne Du Bonheur
As the humanitarian arm of the Swiss radio and television, Swiss Solidarity ensure since 1946 (and since 1983 as an independent foundation), that its accredited partner organisations use the funds raised after emergencies in high-quality humanitarian and social projects that meet the needs of those affected by disasters and humanitarian crises both in Switzerland and abroad.
Over the past 75 years, Swiss Solidarity raised almost 2 billions and financed more than 5'000 projects in Switzerland and abroad.
For its international projects, Swiss Solidarity works with 25 accredited Swiss partner organisations that went through a thorough accreditation process and have to submit a project proposal for each project Swiss Solidarity finances. All the projects are evaluated.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the people of Ukraine have been living with a horrifying new reality: air-raid sirens, curfews and bombings. Millions of people, in particular women, children and the elderly, are fleeing Ukraine and taking refuge in neighboring countries. While the lucky ones among them have local contacts to whom they can turn, most of these people are being housed in makeshift shelters, train stations and public buildings. Arriving in the host countries with very little, these refugees are exhausted and suffering from the bitter cold and the anxiety brought on by their uncertain future. The consequences of this continuing conflict are dramatic for the civilian population and the humanitarian needs keep growing.
While initially Swiss Solidarity's assistance focused on the reception of refugees in countries bordering Ukraine – especially Poland, Moldavia and Romania – the work was now extended to aid projects being carried out within Ukraine, particularly in the West in the area of Lwiw. Funds are going toward emergency support; providing warm meals, hygiene products, urgent medical care, cash support and assistance in securing shelter.
Swiss Solidarity is in continuous contact with its Swiss partner organizations on the ground and two humanitarian specialists of Swiss Solidarity have just been in Poland and Rumania in order to analyze the changing humanitarian needs. During the next couple of months, the focus will remain on emergency assistance while analyzing the possible scope of intervention during a mid- to longer term assistance with a programmatic approach coordination with the different partner organizations.
It is crucial to acknowledge and support the role of local actors and to deploy international projects in real, equitable, partnership with them. This crisis offers an opportunity for considerable localization and SwS is committed to promote it and to strengthen local capacities in the long run. Active effort is expected not to undermine the position of local actors by hiring away all their best people for international agencies. Where local actors have overextended or depleted their financial resources in these first weeks, they may need financial support to cover their core costs.
The Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation awarded a grant to Swiss Solidarity to support its humanitarian response plan.
