First donations paid out to residents of Blatten

Canton Valais has made the first payments to residents of Blatten, the Swiss mountain village destroyed in a landslide in May.

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So far, 25 applications for support totalling CHF1.4 million ($1.8 million) have been approved, the Donations Commission said on Friday.

Following the landslide on May 28, 2025, in which the village of Blatten was completely destroyed, those affected have been able to submit applications for financial support in addition to insurance benefits.

According to the Donations Commission, 46 applications have been received so far. These are being assessed on an ongoing basis.

Some CHF68 million in donations have been collected for Blatten. Of this, CHF23 million came from Swiss Solidarity, CHF3.9 million from the aid organisations Caritas Switzerland and the Swiss Red Cross, CHF5 million from the federal government and CHF10 million from canton Valais. Donations totalling around CHF26 million were made directly to the municipality of Blatten, most of which were earmarked for reconstruction.

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Shortly after the landslide, various aid agencies, organisations, private individuals, municipalities and cantons provided emergency aid totalling CHF2.8 million for the people affected. This has already been paid out by the municipality. Over the next 12 months, canton Valais will also provide part of its aid in the form of lump-sum contributions to the affected population.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts