On 8 May 2013 the Federal Council decided to grant Burkina Faso and Mozambique general budgetary assistance of CHF 32 million each for the years 2013 to 2016. This will support both countries in implementation of their poverty reduction strategies, which focus on broad-based and sustainable growth.

Arab states are often confronted with natural hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, and floods that cause severe damages and affect a great number of victims. These phenomena have highlighted the increasing vulnerability of cities in the Middle East and Northern Africa. To address this issue, representatives of Arab states and development agencies are gathering in Aqaba, Jordan, for the first regional conference on disaster and risk reduction in the Arab region. SDC is co-organizing this event together with Jordanian authorities and United Nations (UN) partners.

Today marks the start of Swiss membership of “Friends of Yemen”, a group of over 30 states and several organisations which exists to support political transition in Yemen. At today’s meeting in London, Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter mentioned that between 2012 and 2014 Switzerland has provided around CHF 20 million to support political stabilisation and improve the humanitarian situation in the country.

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Editorial

With 2012 coming to an end, SDC looks back on the achievements of its programmes and partners in the domains of livelihood and governance. The first article highlights some of the main results of both domains. As an important partner in strengthening civil society and promoting human rights, the Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN) points out the progress civil society made in 2012 but also mentions the challenges CSHRN and its member organizations had to tackle to implement their programmes.

In the spirit of mutual cooperation, this three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will support the SDC-funded sustainable development programme in the province.

The MoU defines overall collaboration between the SDC, the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation (HSI). It supports the implementation of the Livelihoods Programme Hindukush and the Water for Livelihoods Project aiming to improve the quality of life and reducing vulnerability of marginalised communities.

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Editorial

SDC supports culture and 'human rights from an Islamic perspective', albeit with a very small contribution. Over the past quarter, however, it was possible to show that, even with small contributions, considerable results can be achieved.

Interview with Manuel Bessler, Humanitarian Aid Delegate of the Swiss Confederation

Since the outbreak of the conflict in March 2011, the humanitarian situation in Syria has continued to deteriorate. The violent confrontations are causing severe suffering in the civilian population; there are shortages of medical care, food, and water. More than 300,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries. We asked Manuel Bessler, Humanitarian Aid Delegate of the Swiss Confederation, about the support being provided by humanitarian aid actors in the field.

Swiss Cooperation Office Afghanistan launched “10 Stories” booklet on the occasion of its 10-year anniversary

The “10 Stories – 10 years of SDC engagement in Afghanistan” booklet was launched on October 9, 2012, in Kabul. The booklet portrays ten personalities - SDC partners, ben­eficiaries from different projects, civil society and government repre­sentatives and gives the SDC engagement in the country a human face. Besides the launch of the booklet, SDC also screened the trailer of the “10 Stories” video.

The conflict in Sri Lanka displaced thousands of people in the northern districts. While affected civilians have returned or are returning to their villages in the devastated northern districts of Sri Lanka, they still have no or very limited resources to cope with the multifold challenges of day to day life. Key humanitarian requirements like reconstruction efforts are being addressed, but other smaller but unmet and urgent needs remain on the ground, which need to be addressed. Above all the returnees need support to restore their livelihoods and stabilize their income sources.