2024 Annual Report
Take a look at the highlights of our key fundraising campaigns and projects. For more on all our 2024 activities, read the full report below.
01.2024: Our year in review
“In a divided and uncertain world, solidarity remains our greatest source of hope. Our work is essential to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those who need it most.”
Miren Bengoa
Director of Swiss Solidarity
© Swiss Solidarity
“Today more than ever, the role of the media as a catalyst for solidarity is essential. Together, we can make a difference by giving voice to those in greatest need.”
Pascal Crittin
President of Swiss Solidarity and Director of RTS
© RTS
02.2024 in figures
.
million
people supported
countries of intervention
projects supported
164 outside Switzerland
137 in Switzerland
Distribution of intervention in 2024
Between CHF 10,000 and CHF 499,000
Between CHF 500,000 and CHF 1 million
Between CHF 1 million and CHF 3.9 million
Between CHF 4 million and CHF 10 million
Greater than CHF 25 million
CHF.
million
put into humanitarian and social projects
Funding for the most critical issues in 2024
-
War in Ukraine: CHF 29.3 million -
Earthquakes in Syria and Turkey: CHF 11.6 million -
Humanitarian crisis in the Middle East: CHF 3.5 million -
Hunger in East Africa: CHF 3.4 million -
Marginalised and homeless people: CHF 2.9 million -
Humanitarian crisis in Sudan: CHF 2.4 million -
Social and professional integration of young people: CHF 2.3 million -
International child relief: CHF 2.1 million -
Extreme weather events in Switzerland: CHF 1.4 million
CHF.
million
in donations received in 2024
Largest campaigns in 2024
CHF 13,1 million
Extreme weather events in Switzerland
CHF 5.9 million
Humanitarian crisis in the Middle East
CHF 5 million
Child relief in Switzerland and abroad
CHF 2.7 million
Humanitarian crisis in Sudan
CHF 2.7 million
War in Ukraine
CHF 530,815
Emergency fund
CHF 508,524
Social and professional integration of young people
03.Solidarity campaigns in 2024
Humanitarian crisis in the Middle East
Since October 2023, the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East has plunged the Gaza Strip into the most devastating humanitarian crisis it has experienced in recent decades. The population is living in a state of permanent stress, with severe shortages of food, water, medicines and electricity. In Lebanon, countless people were forced to flee their homes when the country was bombarded in September 2024. Despite the major obstacles to humanitarian access, the donations received enabled us to step up our efforts to attend to the essential needs of the people affected.
Donations received in 2024
CHF.
million
Aid by region
Gaza: 81%
Lebanon: 19%
Humanitarian project priorities
- Access to food, drinking water, medicines and basic necessities
- Psychosocial support for children and families traumatised by violence
- Emergency shelters for displaced people
Aid funded in 2024
CHF.
million
Fundraising campaign launched in collaboration with SRG SSR
2 November 2023
Partner organisations funded
Caritas Switzerland, Swiss Red Cross, HEKS/EPER, Frieda – The Feminist NGO for Peace, Medair, Médecins du Monde Suisse, Terre des hommes Foundation
Humanitarian crisis in Sudan
The deadly war that has been raging in Sudan since April 2023 has caused the world’s largest internal population displacement and one the worst food crises ever witnessed. In addition to the sheer brutality of the conflict and the acts of violence against civilians, the population is suffering from a desperate lack of food, water and medical care. Since the start of the war, we have been able to fund 12 humanitarian projects in Sudan, Chad and South Sudan and provide vital support to the local population. Yet despite the scale of the crisis, it remains largely under-reported, making mobilising the general public a particularly difficult challenge.
Donations received in 2024
CHF.
million
Aid by country
Sudan: 57%
South Sudan: 34%
Chad: 9%
Partner organisations funded
Caritas Switzerland, Swiss Red Cross, HEKS/EPER, Medair, Médecins Sans Frontières, Save the Children, Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Suisse
Aid funded in 2024
CHF.
million
Launch of fundraising campaign
13 June 2024
Humanitarian project priorities
- Access to medical care, food, drinking water and sanitation facilities
- Financial and psychosocial support for displaced families
War in Ukraine
Three years after Russia launched its offensive against Ukraine, the humanitarian needs remain immense and over 14.6 million people are still facing a dramatic situation. Our work is now focused on those regions where the violence is greatest: the east of the country and regions hosting displaced persons. However, with nearly 80% of the funds already spent, we will not be able to guarantee long-term support without additional donations.
Donations received in 2024
CHF.
million
Fundraising campaign launched in collaboration with SRG SSR
25 February 2022
Aid by country
Ukraine: 95%
Moldova: 4%
Romania: 1%
Humanitarian project priorities
- Support for displaced people
- Repairs to homes, buildings and essential infrastructure
- Access to healthcare and education
Aid funded in 2024
CHF.
million
Swiss partner NGOs funded
Swiss Red Cross, Caritas Switzerland, HEKS/EPER, Fondation Hirondelle, Terre des hommes Foundation, Fondation suisse de déminage, Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation, Helvetas, Medair, Médecins du Monde Suisse, Save the Children Switzerland, Solidar Switzerland, SOS Children’s Villages
Local organisations supported
East-SOS, Light of Hope, NGO Girls, Sus Inima Association, Asociatia O Masa Calda, Independent Midwives Association, Migrant Integration Center Brasov, Social Activ Association, The Sunflower Center, Ateliere Fără Frontiere Association
Child relief in Switzerland and abroad
In the past few years, Swiss Solidarity has mobilised the public through a year-end solidarity campaign run with the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR. Thanks to the 2023 year-end campaign, we were able to fund initiatives to bolster access to education in situations of violence and armed conflict in Latin America and the Sahel region, and support the social and professional integration of young people in Switzerland. From 14 to 20 December 2024, SRG SSR joined Swiss Solidarity to raise awareness among and mobilise the population in Switzerland to take action to support children in Switzerland who are victims of domestic violence and those in the Sahel countries and South Asia who are subjected to abuses such as early marriage and child labour.
Donations received in 2024
CHF
million
Aid funded in 2024
- Child protection in Switzerland: CHF 497,678
- Social and professional integration of young people in Switzerland: CHF 2.3 million
- International child relief: CHF 2.1 million
Swiss humanitarian project priorities
- Psychosocial support for child victims of violence, the funding of specialised structures to meet their needs
- The social and professional integration of adolescents and young adults at risk of social exclusion
International humanitarian project priorities
- Access to quality education, both during and after crises and conflicts
- The protection of children facing violence and abuses such as forced labour and early marriage
Testimonial
Sixteen-year-old Taslima lives in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. In early 2024, she discovered that her family was planning her marriage. Thanks to Helvetas’s awareness-raising work in the region, she was able to talk to the people in charge at her school, thus preventing the marriage and continuing her education as normal. Early marriage, which affects one in five girls in low- and middle-income countries, has serious consequences. These include withdrawal from education, abuse and early pregnancy, all of which have lasting effects on girls’ lives.
Severe weather events in Switzerland
During summer 2024, the cantons of the Grisons, Ticino and Valais were hit by severe weather events. Given the sheer scale of the situation, Swiss Solidarity launched an appeal for donations that day, triggering a remarkable outpouring of solidarity among the people of Switzerland. The funds raised through that appeal made it possible for emergency aid to be deployed in the early days following the disaster.
Donations received in 2024
CHF.
million
Aid funded in 2024
CHF.
million
Our priorities when delivering aid to disaster victims
- Providing emergency assistance, covering the cost of short-term accommodation, and providing transportation, new clothes or furniture.
- Helping with additional costs and expenses not covered by insurance or other bodies.
Testimonial
Yann had lived for 14 years in Sierre’s Sous-Géronde residential neighbourhood, which was hit hard by the flooding of the Rhône this summer. Like dozens of other local residents, he lost everything in the space of a single night. But Swiss Solidarity soon helped him find emergency accommodation and buy clothes and basic necessities, while providing invaluable moral support: “We really felt the outpouring of solidarity and it did us good to know that, even here in Valais, in our little town, people from Zurich, Geneva and elsewhere in Switzerland, as well as Swiss Solidarity, were thinking of us.”
Thank you!
Swiss Solidarity would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to all its donors and partners for their unwavering support. For more on all our 2024 activities, read the full report below.