Bern, 13 April 2023
Switzerland is continuing its long-term support efforts in Ukraine. On Thursday 13 April, local NGOs in Kyiv received five used ambulances donated by the Canton of Basel-Stadt and the City of Zurich. More supplies and training will follow in the weeks to come. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), which is part of the FDFA, is funding and organising the transport.
It is now a year since the start of Russia’s military aggression, which has devastated Ukraine’s healthcare system. Hospitals and health facilities have been damaged, and there have been heavy casualties among the civilian population. There is an urgent need for ambulances in particular.
Therefore, the Canton of Basel-Stadt and City of Zurich contributed CHF 225,000 (BS) and CHF 500,000 (ZH) to the purchase of used ambulances, which will now be delivered to Ukraine in two shipments. A first shipment of five vehicles arrived in Kyiv on Monday 10 April and was handed over to local NGOs today (Thursday). A second shipment is planned for summer 2023.
Deployed in Kharkiv and Kramatorsk
The purchase and shipping of one of the ambulances took place in Neuchâtel. The four other vehicles were purchased and shipped via the Netherlands as currently very few used ambulances of the required category are available on the market. When the ambulances arrive in Ukraine, the Swiss embassy in Kyiv will hand them over to hospitals in the Kharkiv region and the city of Kramatorsk. Also involved in the process are local NGOs SMARTA and Caritas Ukraine. The SDC is organising and paying for the shipments.
Fire engines and training on the way
In weeks to come, three additional fire engines and five tonnes of firefighting foam from the reserves of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) will be delivered to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU). Swiss experts will be providing a week of on-site training to accompany the handover. The used value of the vehicles is CHF 180,000. A new fire engine of this type would cost CHF 1,710,000. Here too, the SDC will organise and cover the cost of the shipment and training.
Source – Swiss Government