MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th September, 2021) Switzerland's Federal Council on Wednesday approved the allocation of 33 million Swiss francs ($35.8 million) to help Afghanistan.
"At today's meeting, the Federal Council decided to increase its aid in Afghanistan and in the surrounding countries. To this end, it approved an additional contribution of CHF 33 million to bolster humanitarian aid on the ground," the council said in a statement on its website.
The statement mentions that 10 million Swiss francs will be contributed by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the remainder will be set down in the form of supplementary credit. Over the following 16 months, the Swiss aid to Afghanistan in cooperation with the surrounding countries will total 60 million.
According to the council, this is Switzerland's response to "the precarious circumstances in Afghanistan" which is struggling with "the threat of economic collapse, the ongoing drought, and famine."
Switzerland has been aiding Afghanistan on the ground since 2002. The country's current support amounts to CHF 27 million annually of which CHF 9 million is for humanitarian aid and CHF 18 million for development cooperation.
Following the Taliban's (a terrorist organization banned in Russia) seizure of power in the country's capital Kabul, Switzerland has temporarily closed its office in the country but continues to work in close cooperation with the United Nations (UN) and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
On September 13, Geneva will host the UN-convened conference discussing the means to improve the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
