From where is the gold in our smartphones sourced? Is the gold shining on your wrist of the ‘dirty’ variety? Have children worked themselves to death for the gold bars stored in the vaults of our Swiss banks? Unfortunately, such is very likely the case. In a study, SWISSAID has traced gold’s journey from Africa to Dubai and on to Switzerland. The research reveals the relationship between Swiss refiners and companies in the United Arab Emirates that trade with gold from conflict zones.

As a foundation for development cooperation, SWISSAID is also heavily affected by the corona virus. We report here on the current situation in our partner countries on an ongoing basis. After all, if a virus affects everyday life in Switzerland so severely, what does that mean for the countries and people in the global South? –Translated with DeepL

Washing hands, restricting contacts, exposing fake news: the measures against the coronavirus in our partner countries in the south are similar to those in Switzerland. The only difference is that the general conditions are much more difficult. How SWISSAID is tackling the problem – and why hygiene is not only fundamental to health, but also counteracts the threat of conflict.