SOS Méditerranée's Rescue Operations At Risk Amid Geneva Funding Cuts

2025-12-09 02:10:12

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The NGO SOS Méditerranée is facing financial difficulties following the end of a partnership in Geneva. It needs to find CHF2.7 million ($3.35 million) to maintain the same rescue operations at sea until the end of 2026. This content was published on December 9, 2025 - 13:55 2 minutes Keystone-SDA

Français fr L'ONG SOS Méditerranée en difficulté financière Original Read more: L'ONG SOS Méditerranée en difficulté financ

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Faced with cuts of its own, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has decided to end its collaboration with SOS Méditerranée. The contribution has been reduced by CHF700,000 for this year, and a further CHF2 million for 2026 will be lost – a quarter of the budget required to maintain rescue operations at sea, the NGO warned on Tuesday.

Over the past four years, the two organisations have carried out more than 150 rescue operations together, helping thousands of people in the central Mediterranean. SOS Méditerranée will have to internalise the medical and protection activities on its ship.
Reduced resources
The financial challenges are compounded by the need for the NGO to reinforce these functions. The NGO will shortly be taking to the sea again, but with reduced resources.

“Our teams have been faced with particularly intense challenges, in particular the violent attack” by Libyan security forces last summer, said Elliot Guy, Director General of SOS Méditerranée Suisse, quoted in a press release.
More More International Geneva ICRC cutting around 240 jobs at its Geneva headquarters
This content was published on Oct 18, 2025 Last July, the ICRC had announced a 17% cut in its budget, reducing it to CHF1.8 billion ($2.27 billion) in 2026.
Read more: ICRC cutting around 240 jobs at its Geneva headqua

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