Switzerland to Allocate €103.5 Million for Demining Efforts in Ukraine Over Four Years
Today, the Swiss Federal Council approved a financial aid package of 100 million Swiss francs (€103.5 million) for Ukraine. According to the Swiss government's announcement, these funds are intended for demining activities in civilian and agricultural areas in Ukraine and to support the country's recovery.
The financial support will come from Swiss government entities, namely, the Department of Defense, Civil Protection, and Sports, and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, with each contributing half of the total amount.
These funds will be channeled to Swiss companies and organizations already actively engaged in Ukraine, aiding in the disposal of explosive devices, providing training to Ukrainian deminers, and supplying them with necessary equipment. The utilization of these funds will be overseen by the Swiss Embassy in Kyiv.
Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, expressed his gratitude to Switzerland for their significant support, stating, "I am grateful to Switzerland for allocating 100 million Swiss francs for humanitarian demining in Ukraine between 2024 and 2027. This is a substantial contribution to clearing Ukrainian land from Russian mines," in a tweet.
It's worth noting that Switzerland has been actively involved in humanitarian demining operations in Ukraine. For 2022 and 2023, Switzerland allocated 15.2 million Swiss francs, including support for the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining and the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD).
Additionally, Switzerland's Department of Defense, Civil Protection, and Sports has provided specialized demining equipment to Ukrainian rescue teams and finances training in humanitarian demining for Ukrainian deminers.
In May, the Austrian government also announced funding of €2 million for demining equipment in Ukraine following intense discussions.
Demining is a critical issue in Ukraine, with approximately 40% of the Kharkiv region's territory potentially contaminated by explosive devices. The State Emergency Service's pyrotechnic experts have already disposed of over 76,500 explosive devices. Daily, the agency's hotline continues to receive requests for demining houses, cottages, and land in rural areas. To see how deminers are clearing the Kharkiv region of traces of Russian occupation, watch The Gaze video.