News

After ten years of war, humanitarian aid in Syria and the neighbouring countries continues to be vital. Since the beginning of the crisis, Caritas Switzerland has implemented aid programmes amounting to 76 million Swiss francs and continues to support people displaced by the war and those affected by poverty. Every day, we are confronted with despe...

More than 7,000 people on their way to Western Europe are stuck in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The border crossings with Croatia are closed. The refugees are living in appalling conditions...

Within just two months, the fighting in northern Ethiopia has displaced more than 50 000 people to neighbouring Sudan. There, they live in cramped camps in extremely difficult humanitarian conditions. Covid-19 threatens further misery. Caritas Switzerland is supporting the emergency aid efforts.

Even before the corona crisis, 600,000 people in Switzerland were experiencing poverty. The crisis has further aggravated the poverty situation in Switzerland and made it visible in many areas. In response to this increased poverty, Caritas is engaged in the largest relief effort in its history to support the Swiss population. The experience gained...

Caritas Switzerland is deeply concerned about the fire disaster in the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos. It is high time for Switzerland to take action.

Last night's explosion in the port of Beirut has hit a country which, in the middle of the Corona pandemic, is already on the brink of economic and social collapse. The people now need our support more than ever.

More than a year has passed since the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Sulawesi. The need for aid is still huge. With the support of Swiss Solidarity, Caritas is starting an additional reconstruction project amounting to CHF 1.5 million: 200 private homes will be repaired. At the same time, valuable knowledge in earthquake-proof construction ...

Despite several years of good economic activity and record low unemployment figures, Switzerland is still unable to reduce its poverty: for five years, the number of people affected by poverty has been increasing. Already from the age of 46, a person’s social welfare risk increases. In Caritas Switzerland’s recently published social almanac, establ...

The civilian population in Syria is exposed to fresh violence and need. More than 176,000 people have already fled their homes as a result of the military offensive in the north-east of the country. Tens of thousands more families could be forced to flee in the coming days and weeks. Thanks to its long-term involvement in the country, Caritas is ab...

Ten months after the major catastrophe in the Palu region of Indonesia, Caritas Switzerland is initiating a new phase of its assistance to the affected population. In five villages, it is restoring the water infrastructure for 1100 households. Also, 525 families can earn an income with clean-up work.

The Prix Caritas 2019 was presented in Lucerne to Frei Adailson Quintino dos Santos and Lucimar Correa in honour of their work with the Organisation São Martinho. Pascale Baeriswyl, State Secretary of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) of Switzerland, paid tribute to the commitment of the award recipients. For decades, they have striv...

After eight years of war, humanitarian aid in and around Syria remains vital. In the last eight years, Caritas Switzerland has committed more than 40 million Swiss francs and is now increasingly investing in education and income generation. Caritas considers that Switzer-land, too, has an obligation to make a long-term and structural commitment. Th...

A three-day international conference on Syria starts in Brussels today. Aid agencies active in the conflict region, including Caritas, are expressing their concern that the readiness of the international community to provide assistance is diminishing. 

According to estimates, up to 15,000 girls or women living in Switzerland have undergone or are at risk of female genital cutting. They all have a right to protection and appropriate care. 

Countries are doing far too little to stop climate change, with devastating consequences for developing countries. In its new position paper on the climate crisis, Caritas is calling on Switzerland to take responsibility and assume a leading role at the climate conference in Poland starting on 3 December – out of solidarity with the poorest and mos...