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• Multilateral cooperation
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• Humanitarian Aid
  • Objective
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  • Operational resources
  • Mode of operation
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Operational resources

Swiss humanitarian aid defines the four resources needed as personnel, financial contributions, food and material. Whenever possible they are combined in order to optimize the effect of aid efforts.

Personnel
Personnel includes the assignment of specialists and SHA task forces, especially in cases of disaster. In order to be able to react quickly and adequately in emergencies, Swiss humanitarian aid also has reconnaissance teams at its disposal which can be deployed immediately to first assess what is needed in crises and disaster areas and then initialize supporting steps in close cooperation with the UN and the governments of the countries involved.

Financial contributions
Financial contributions have become more important over the past years in view of the large-scale interconnected actions of international humanitarian organizations. Today, humanitarian aid contributions make up about two thirds of total Swiss humanitarian expenditures. Partners are especially the large humanitarian organizations, namely the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC, the World Food Programme WFP, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees HCR, the

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East UNRWA, and the UN organization OCHA responsible for international humanitarian aid. Also of great importance to worldwide humanitarian cooperation are the nongovernmental organizations NGO. Accordingly, the following, large Swiss relief organizations (in addition to others) receive substantial financial support: the Swiss Red Cross, Caritas, the Swiss Protestant Relief Agency HEKS, Terre des hommes Lausanne TdHL and the Swiss Labour Assistance SLA.

Food aid
Food aid concentrates on basic foodstuffs such as flour (wheat, corn, rice, etc.) and dairy products (powdered milk, cheese). The general principles of Swiss humanitarian aid apply here as well: Financial support must be given according to the needs of the favored population. Whenever possible, food is purchased in the immediate or nearby area. Priority is always given to local staple food which the population is familiar with as opposed to nonlocal produce.

 

 

Material
Stored in the SHA's material warehouse are tents and other emergency shelters for far more than 10,000 people. In addition there are enough emergency medical supplies to care for about 10,000 people for a three-month period, mobile drinking water laboratories and various other material essential for survival. If required, additional items can be purchased in Switzerland or regionally and then sent to the disaster and/or crisis areas.

 

 

Cash projects – an innovative form of humanitarian aid
Cash projects are a form of humanitarian aid in which victims of conflicts or natural disasters receive cash instead of conventional forms of aid such as food or other essential goods. They receive money as cash in hand, as a payment to an account, or as vouchers which they can use at local markets to cover their needs.
Cash payments or vouchers can be tied to specific conditions concerning use or behaviour, for example, to participation in specific training courses.

Examples Cash for Shelter / for Host Families: Families who accept refugees or internally displaced persons into their homes receive cash for making accommodation available. Cash for the Most Vulnerable: People in need receive cash in order to be able to obtain the basic necessities to survive in an economic emergency situation (e.g. winter assistance). Cash for Work: Local helpers are paid, for example, to clear rubble, improve road conditions, or carry out repairs to infrastructure. Cash for Repair and Reconstruction: Victims of natural disasters or conflicts receive cash to repair or rebuild their houses. Cash for Livelihood: Victims of natural disasters or conflicts receive cash to rebuild the bases of their livelihoods, for example, by replacing their livestock. Voucher for Seeds: Selected households receive vouchers which they can exchange for seeds. Cash for Loan: Small enterprises receive cash in the form of loans which they later repay to the relevant local authorities which in turn have agreed to use the money for social projects.

Advantages of the Cash projects
Cash projects are an innovative, efficient and non-bureaucratic way of helping people help themselves - provided there are functioning local markets and secure financial channels.
Cash projects enable victims to deal with their current situations and shape their future. They strengthen local economies instead of competing with them. In addition, they are usually more cost-effective because there is no cost attached to transport, storage and distribution. The experience of the SDC shows that the beneficiaries of such projects use the money responsibly, and that there is little evidence of abuse.