Position
Working around the clock to help others

Thursday, 9 February 2023: The line was down for what seemed like ages. I kept on trying to get through, again and again. Finally, I heard the voice of Operations Manager Sebastian Eugster of Swiss Rescue at the other end.

In Turkey's Hatay Province, Mr Eugster was leading this search and rescue team's operations as it combed the rubble for survivors around the clock. His 87-expert-strong Swiss Rescue team and its 8 search dogs reached the disaster zone just a few hours after the earthquake hit and went to work right away. The work was demanding and dangerous, with only short breaks for rest. Mr Eugster told me that although the team was tired, each time they pulled someone alive from the rubble it spurred them on to search for more survivors. In total, Swiss Rescue saved 11 lives before winding up its operations almost one week after the earthquakes.

I am proud of this work. It is the quintessence of Switzerland's international cooperation: effective support, professional work, lean and well-targeted structures, a high level of personal commitment to alleviating need and poverty, as set out in the Federal Constitution, flexibility when facing new situations, and innovative solutions to reach goals.

This makes it clear how important it was for Switzerland's post-earthquake support in Turkey and Syria to continue after Swiss Rescue's work came to an end. The help must have a longer-term impact. That is why a rapid response team of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) went to Turkey even before Swiss Rescue's experts headed back to Switzerland. In parallel, the SDC dispatched a team to Aleppo, Syria, to assess the pressing needs of people there. This team was made up of members of the Swiss representations located in the region, so as to allow Switzerland to provide fast, focused and effective help there too – help such as the winter tents that had already been prepared for dispatch and the assessments of the structural integrity of buildings.

The new international cooperation strategy that will guide our work through 2025–28 must live up to this track record. This strategy's priorities are still in the pipeline, but no matter how the Federal Council shapes its content in the end, one thing is already clear: we must translate the strategy into action effectively, professionally, flexibly and innovatively. The way we helped after the earthquakes showcases how this can work in practice – and how Switzerland creates added value in the process.

Ignazio Cassis, federal councillor