Switzerland steps up winter aid for war-torn Ukraine
Published: Wednesday, Dec 20th 2023, 21:50
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Switzerland is once again supporting the suffering population in Ukraine this winter and is increasing its contribution by CHF 11.8 million. The hardship in Ukraine is a consequence of the military invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The federal government is spending a total of around CHF 26 million on winter aid measures, as announced by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) on Wednesday.
According to the report, the federal government is supporting several non-governmental organizations in providing life-saving shelter as part of winter aid. For example, it has enabled repairs to almost 1,000 apartments and houses and the distribution of heating material to around 1,300 households in frontline areas.
In addition, experts from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) have been helping to repair water supply pipes and pumping stations over the past few months in order to ensure district heating and clean drinking water.
Russian President Putin gave the order for the military invasion of Ukraine on February 24 last year. Since then, numerous Russian war crimes against the Ukrainian civilian population have come to light. Thousands of children have been abducted, and just a few days ago the UN documented the torture of civilians in Russian captivity.
The material damage to buildings and infrastructure throughout the country alone is estimated at hundreds of billions of francs.
In an essay in the summer of 2021, Putin denied Ukraine's southern neighbor's right to exist as a state and emphasized that Ukrainians and Russians are one people. The Kremlin in Moscow also accuses the Ukrainian leadership of opening the door for the Western military alliance NATO to threaten Russia with an imminent further expansion eastwards.
©Keystone/SDA
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