Published on 11 March 2025

Instruments of Humanitarian Aid

The SDC’s Humanitarian Aid has four instruments at its disposal: the expertise of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA), financial contributions to partner organisations, relief supplies, as well as dialogue and advocacy.

The SDC transports relief goods, as in this case for the Ukraine. — © SDC

SDC Humanitarian Aid selects its instruments based on a thorough analysis of the context and the specific emergency situation. If necessary, SDC Humanitarian Aid uses all four instruments simultaneously.

Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA)

The SHA is a pool of around 550 people who are on call for various types of deployment. It recruits specialists in areas such as construction and rehabilitation, water and sanitation, environment and disaster risk reduction, and protection of civilians.

The SHA is the operational arm of the SDC’s Humanitarian Aid. It can deploy specialists on short to medium-term field missions to implement SDC or partner projects of the United Nations (UN) before, during and after periods of crises and conflicts.

Funding

The recent increase in large-scale operations led by various international organisations has made funding all the more important. Today, funding accounts for almost two-thirds of the humanitarian aid provided by the SDC.

The key partners are large organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) and Caritas also play an important role in international cooperation efforts.

Relief supplies

Survivors of war and natural disasters lack the most basic necessities. The SDC’s Humanitarian Aid helps by dispatching relief supplies from its logistics base in Bern. These include tents, equipment to sterilise water and emergency medical supplies. Goods stored in the warehouses of UN partner organisations and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are sometimes also sent around the world by the SDC’s Humanitarian Aid. In some cases, the SDC’s Humanitarian Aid is able to procure supplies locally and distribute them directly to people in crisis areas.

Dialogue and advocacy

At the diplomatic level, Switzerland advocates for compliance with international humanitarian law, unrestricted humanitarian access to people in need, a safe operating environment for humanitarian organisations and a rights-based approach in dealing with the affected communities. In addition to its advocacy in multilateral forums, the SDC’s Humanitarian Aid engages in bilateral dialogue with the countries in which it is active. Switzerland is also committed to improving global donor coordination in the humanitarian sector.

Thanks to the funding and operational support it provides to multilateral partners and the impact of SHA operations in the field, Switzerland is considered a credible, respected and influential humanitarian partner.

• Swiss Rescue

  In the immediate aftermath of an earthquakes, the Swiss Rescue workers are among the first on the scene to find and rescue people from the rubble.

  The Swiss Rescue is made up of private and public, civilian and military partner organisations which fall under the management of the SDC’s Humanitarian Aid. It is specialised in locating and rescuing victims from the rubble left by earthquakes abroad and in providing initial emergency medical care.

  The Swiss Rescue consists of 78 people (dog handlers, rescuers, emergency doctors and other specialists) and 8 search dogs, and has 17 tonnes of material at its disposal. Depending on the situation, individual modules can be deployed.

  The Swiss Rescue can be ready for take-off within eight to twelve hours of a decision is made to deploy and can operate autonomously for up to ten days. It works together with the following eight partner organisations:

  • Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA)
    The Delegate for Humanitarian Aid and head of the SHA decides on the deployment of a mission. The funding is ensured by the SDC’s Humanitarian Aid.
  • Swiss Seismological Service (SED)
    The SED alerts the on-call service of the Swiss Humanitarian and SHA Division.
  • Swiss Air-Ambulance Rega
    The Rega supports the initial assessment immediately after the alarm and, if necessary, provides an aircraft for the reconnaissance team.
  • Swiss Search and Rescue Dog Association REDOG
    REDOG provides search and rescue dog teams.
  • Swiss Army/Rescue Troops
    The Swiss Army provides rescue specialists and, if necessary, military air transport.
  • Swiss Red Cross (SRC)
    The SRC delivers and distributes aid supplies.
  • Swiss International Air Lines
    Swiss supplies a wide-bodied jet.
  • Zurich Airport AG
    The Zurich Airport provides logistical services at Zurich Airport.