Please stop sending clothes, but give us money.
That’s the message from the authorities in the devasted village of Blatten.
The head of the Lötschental Valley Council, Christian Rieder, told the Blick newspaper that he thanks everyone who has donated items – and none it will go to waste – but the need now is cash.
Tonnes of goods have flowed into canton Valais from all over the country from clothes, shoes, hygiene products and toys. Some are brand new, still with the price tags attached.
But there’s too much. The surplus could be sold off, with the money going to the village, the rest could be sent abroad – perhaps to Romania.
Major aid charities, such as the Red Cross and Swiss Solidarity, say in-kind donations don’t meet local needs and cash is more flexible. The organisations say they have raised around CHF 7m for Blatten.
Swiss Solidarity says the first tranche of cash will be released in the next few days. Initially, much of the money will be used for covering rent for those made homeless and helping destroyed local businesses.
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