Foreign aid Swiss government plans to open humanitarian office in Afghanistan in the fall

The Swiss government plans to reopen the humanitarian office in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, which was closed three years ago, in the fall instead of this summer. This is due to technical, logistical and operational issues, some of which have led to delays.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) informed the Keystone-SDA news agency on Sunday that the complete outfitting will be carried out with great care and the planning will be continuously adapted to the circumstances. The SDC thus confirmed a corresponding report in the "NZZ am Sonntag" newspaper.

Four members of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit are to staff the office, which is about to reopen. The team, which is to be stationed in Kabul again next fall, will be responsible for implementing, supporting and monitoring the projects financed by the SDC in Afghanistan.

On a "technical level", the reinstalled office will also make contact with Taliban representatives. This is done where necessary for the implementation of projects.

Meanwhile, the Swiss embassy in neighboring Pakistan remains responsible for consular services and diplomatic contacts. The Swiss government closed the humanitarian office in Kabul and evacuated its staff after the radical Islamist Taliban took power again in August 2021. Since then, the team has been working from the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

According to the SDC's website, its projects help to protect human rights and meet basic needs. According to the SDC, Switzerland contributed CHF 30 million to alleviating the humanitarian needs of the Afghan population last year.