Ayuda Suiza facts for kids
Evacuation of children in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War.
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| Founder | Rodolfo Olgiati |
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| Purpose | Humanitarian Aid |
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The Comité Suizo de Ayuda a los niños de España, often called Ayuda Suiza (which means "Swiss Aid"), was a special group of Swiss organizations. These groups came from different backgrounds but worked together. Their main goal was to help children affected by the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
In German, its original name was Schweizerisches Hilfskomitee für die Kinder Spaniens (SAS). In French, it was Comité neutre de secours aux enfants d'Espagne.
Starting Swiss Aid
The Swiss Aid Committee began in February 1937. It was started by Rodolfo Olgiati, who was the secretary of a peace-loving group called Service Civil International (SCI). Olgiati wanted to create a plan to help people in Spain. He aimed to bring together as many Swiss groups as possible to provide humanitarian aid.
The Swiss government was hesitant at first because of its neutral stance. However, they eventually gave their approval. The SCI played a very important role within the committee. It provided the most volunteers on the ground, about thirty throughout the war. Most of these volunteers were from Switzerland. Rodolfo Olgiati also served as the committee's secretary.
Helping People in Need
Swiss Aid mainly helped children and other vulnerable people. This included the elderly, pregnant women, and mothers who were breastfeeding.
The original idea was to help people on both sides of the conflict. However, in reality, Swiss Aid mostly worked in the areas controlled by the Republican side. This was because the Nationalist side generally refused their help.
Local Swiss Aid groups were set up in cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Murcia.
The volunteers had many important jobs:
- They managed canteens, which are places where food is served.
- They helped move children from war zones to safer places.
- They sent basic supplies, like food and clothes, to children's homes, shelters, and hospitals. These supplies came from donations.
- They provided support to children's homes, shelters, and hospitals. This included direct help and financial support.
They worked closely with institutions from the Second Spanish Republic and local groups. These groups took in refugee children and families. Swiss Aid volunteers also worked with the Quakers on many of their missions.
Many members of the SCI took part in Swiss Aid. Some well-known names include Elisabeth Eidenbenz, Ruth von Wild, Karl Ketterer, Irma Schneider, Ralph Hegnauer, Trudi Ketterer, Maurice Dubois, Elsbeth Kasser, Willy Begert, and Eleonore Imbelli.
What Happened Next
In January 1939, most of the Swiss Aid volunteers left Spain. Within a few months, they reorganized in the south of France. Their new mission was to help the thousands of refugees who were living in camps. They also worked to find children from the sponsored homes who had been moved to France.
During this time, they created new children's homes and maternity wards, like the famous Elna Maternity. They also provided services to various internment camps.
In 1940, the world changed with the start of World War II. Swiss Aid adapted to this new situation. It was renamed the Swiss Cartel for Relief to Children Victims of War. In German, this was Schweizerischen Arbeitsgemeinschaft für kriegsgeschädigte Kinder (SAK). It remained a neutral NGO group, still led by the SCI. Their work expanded to help all refugee children from war zones, as more children arrived from northern France due to the Second World War.
From 1942, the work of this group was taken over by the Swiss Red Cross. The Red Cross then expanded these humanitarian efforts across all of France. They used the same aid systems that had been successful during the Spanish Civil War.
