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Objective
The goal of Swiss humanitarian aid is to save lives and linder suffering worldwide. On the one hand it provides direct help through the immediate deployment of expert teams from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) following natural disasters and in armed conflicts. On the other, it supports humanitarian partner organizations and contributes to the prevention and solution of conflicts.
Mission of law
Switzerland's commitment to humanitarian aid is outlined in the federal law on international development cooperation and humanitarian aid issued on March 19,
1976: We shall contribute to preserving endangered human life and alleviating suffering with preventive and emergency measures. Specifically aid is destined for populations struck by natural
disasters or armed conflicts. Humanitarian aid distinguishes between:
- Conflicts: Wars, civil wars and other similar confrontations
- Crises: Collapse of law and order and the lack of social nets
- Catastrophes: Natural disasters such as earthquakes, inundations or drought and technological disasters such as nuclear incidents, biological and chemical accidents as well as the bursting of dams and other severe and acute destructive forces which could endanger human lives.
Formes of the humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid can take on different forms: Payments in kind, particularly the distribution of food, cash contributions and the assignment of specialists and deployment teams primarily in cases of
disaster, as well as every other form which serves the purpose. Where appropriate, the individual forms of humanitarian aid are interconnected.
Principles of the humanitarian aid
Swiss humanitarian aid orients itself on the basic human values and the principle of the inviolable dignity of each human being. Its
foundation is international humanitarian law and internationally recognized humanitarian principles and it repeatedly appeals for these to be respected in cooperative efforts. It helps victims,
regardless of their race, their sex, their language, their religion, political opinion or social status. Switzerland renders neutral and impartial humanitarian aid, independently and without any
political conditions.