October 14, 2019
18:00 - 19:00
Room A11
Whether it is water specialists, construction experts or mediators that are needed, Switzerland has some 700 experts who can be deployed in humanitarian crises or catastrophes all over the world. Join us to take a closer look at this very special unit of Switzerland’s humanitarian aid.
Swiss humanitarian aid unit: a governmental approach in humanitarian and emergency interventions
Claudio Valsangiacomo
Professor in development and cooperation, SUPSI
Member of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit
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The Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) is the operational arm of Swiss Humanitarian Aid. Its specialists are deployed to implement projects of the SDC or its UN partners before, during and after periods of crisis or conflict. The SHA is a corps of around 700 people who are on call in time of need. Most of the specialists are requested to carry out Switzerland’s humanitarian aid projects abroad; others are seconded to UN agencies, which benefit from their experience and expertise. The specialists are divided into expert groups and sent to the field, where they run preventive actions or provide support to people affected by conflict or natural disaster.
Claudio will describe the functioning mechanisms of the SHA and present examples of intervention in the field to share with the audience a precise idea on how it operates.
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