Switzerland allocates CHF 13.5 million to address needs in the Middle East
Bern, 21.05.2026 — The humanitarian situation in the Middle East has worsened due to the conflict between Israel, the US and Iran. The FDFA is releasing CHF 13.5 million to address needs in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan.
The humanitarian consequences of the conflict in Iran extend far beyond the country's borders. Other parts of the Middle East are especially affected, including Lebanon, Syria and Yemen in particular. Furthermore, thousands of Afghans have been heading back home due to the situation in Iran.
In response to this deteriorating context, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is allocating CHF 13.5 million to support the operations of humanitarian organisations and meet the needs of affected populations in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan.
Nearly half of the amount will be allocated to the activities of the ICRC, with the remainder distributed among the Lebanese Red Cross, the UNHCR, the World Food Programme, and the UN's Syria Humanitarian Fund. The latter helps to fund, among other things, the activities of local organisations operating in regions that are difficult for international organisations to access.
By mid-March, the SDC had already allocated CHF 6.5 million to provide humanitarian support in Lebanon and Syria. It had also responded to the appeal by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) with CHF 1 million for emergency aid in Iran.
Useful link