In response to the alarming situation and tremendous damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami which struck the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, Swiss Solidarity and the SSR are holding a national day of solidarity in support of the victims of this natural disaster. Our four call centres in Zurich, Geneva, Lugano and Chur will be taking pledges from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. All money raised will be used to fund relief work by seven Swiss Solidarity partner organisations conducting emergency operations on the ground.
Following an earthquake off the coast of Sulawesi on Friday, waves over three metres high slammed into the island, and rescue workers are now arriving to find scenes of death and devastation. According to the latest estimates, hundreds of thousands of people require humanitarian aid. With reports of destruction mounting by the day, Swiss Solidarity’s partner NGOs are sending in numerous teams to help victims in desperate need of food, water, medical care and shelter. ADRA, Caritas, the Swiss Red Cross, HEKS/EPER, Medair, Save the Children and Solidar are all mobilising, supported by local partners already active on the ground.
The money raised by Swiss Solidarity will first be used to meet the most urgent needs. It will then be used by our partner NGOs to help affected populations recover from the disaster, in particular by repairing and rebuilding their homes.
Donations can be made at www.swiss-solidarity.org or through postal account 10-15000-6. Please mention “Indonesia tsunami”. Swiss Solidarity payment slips are available at all post offices in Switzerland. On the fundraising day itself, the public may also call the traditional solidarity hotline on 0800 87 07 07.
Swiss Solidarity, 1211 Geneva 8
