As we close this hectic year at Swiss Solidarity - Chaîne du Bonheur, I am pleased to share some of our action's key learnings and results.

• In 2022 we have worked hard with our media partner SRG SSR to build awareness and fundraising capacity for Ukraine, Pakistan, the Horn of Africa, and Vulnerable Children in Switzerland. Swiss Solidarity conducted four major campaigns to support millions of people needing urgent humanitarian assistance due to war and displacement, climate crises such as flooding or acute drought and famine, and increased fragility in households affected by poverty or violence.  Key takeaway: planning is always erratic for a platform designed for crisis response, but our role is to be adaptable and responsive to the particular circumstances of each humanitarian emergency. 
• The Foundation reached its full speed in the aftermath of the attacks on Ukraine, which led to an unprecedented wave of solidarity in Switzerland, reaching the record amount of 129 million CHF. We committed over one-third towards rapid response for refugees and internally displaced victims of the war. Adapting to the scale of the needs internally to process the donations in due time and externally to build the appropriate connections with national authorities and other humanitarian actors.  Key takeaway: local and citizen-led solidarity can drive unprecedented mobilization. As a private donor, we are responsible for channeling these consolidated donations in a structured manner. We act independently from the government, with impartiality and a focus on evidence and needs. 
• We created a better learning and communication platform with 26 partner organizations to oversee the best funding allocation. Projects deployed include shelter, health, food, protection, multipurpose cash assistance, information and legal advisory in host communities, and urgent demining activities in the most affected areas.  Key takeaway: Swiss Solidarity is a generalist donor with three main areas of expertise: media-driven fundraising, professional grant-making for emergency and rehabilitation in natural disasters or humanitarian crises, accountability and coordination of implementing organizations. 
• Our team reassessed the need for support in all the ongoing countries of intervention, including Afghanistan, Haïti, Central America, Bangladesh, and more. We strived to leave no crisis unattended, despite the massive overshadowing due to the acute media attention on Ukraine. Significant climate-induced degradation has caused destruction and loss of life in many countries worldwide. Our eyes were on Pakistan and the over 30 million displaced during early September.  Key takeaway: We remain very committed to supporting forgotten crises and underserved populations, especially children, as a commitment to universal human rights, including minorities, women and girls, and the most affected by climate change. 
• In a joint effort of the Emergency Appeals Alliance members (i.e the consortium of Humanitarian Appeals platforms active in 10 countries, including the UK, Canada, Japan, Germany...) we pushed hard to convince our stakeholders to conduct the 23rd November appeal for Hunger in the Horn of Africa. It resulted in an exceptional wave of support, reaching 12.6 million CHF of immediately available resources for aid deployment in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia.  Key takeaway: the international humanitarian system (i.e led by large UN Agencies and INGOs) is in critical need of more diversified funding sources since government contributions are less reliable and the needs worldwide have reached peak levels (for a complete vision refer to the OCHA Global Humanitarian Overview 2023)

The estimated cost of the humanitarian response going into 2023 is US$51.5 billion, a 25 percent increase compared to the beginning of 2022.

“Humanitarian needs are shockingly high, as this year’s extreme events are spilling into 2023,” Emergency Relief Coordinator, OCHA Martin Griffiths.

• Even if we represent a small Nation on the world map, we can express deep gratitude and thanks towards our thousands of individual donors, who have contributed significantly to the flow of quality assistance to some of the hardest-to-reach places. As Switzerland is joining the UN Security Council starting January 1st, 2023, we can aspire to support global peace efforts in promoting this historical ability to empathize and join forces to help underserved populations worldwide.  Key takeaway: We will anchor our work in 2023 on our national values and our organizations' capacity to build trust with individuals, foundations, and corporate donors in the country. 
• On a personal note, in this first year in office leading Swiss Solidarity, I must express my most profound admiration for this 76-year-old institution, its numerous supporters and stakeholders in all the regions of Switzerland, the creativity of its talented team, and the relentless efforts, effectiveness, and courage of our partner NGOs.

I hope this new year will bring peace and greater collaboration to face rising tensions and mitigate climate impacts on people, despite incredibly complex overlapping crises. Warm wishes from Swiss Solidarity !

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