Gaza Aid Foundation Faces Geneva Dissolution

Swiss authorities shutter local arm amid controversy over aid distribution methods.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is facing increased scrutiny as the Swiss authority overseeing foundations has decided to dissolve its Geneva branch. The move comes amid rising calls for the UN to resume control of aid distribution in Gaza.

Key Development

The Federal Foundation Supervisory Authority (ASF) stated that the Geneva subsidiary of the GHF would be dissolved due to non-compliance with legal obligations. The Federal Department of the Interior (DFI), which oversees the AFS, communicated the decision to the Keystone-ATS press agency.

Based in Delaware, USA, the GHF had already registered its Geneva branch as non-operational earlier this year, citing financial constraints. The supervisory authority noted several breaches, including the absence of board members domiciled or authorized to sign in Switzerland, lack of a Swiss bank account, and an invalid address.

Despite the closure, GHF director Johnnie Moore, an evangelical with ties to former President Donald Trump, stated the foundation would not “close” and that its operations in Gaza would continue.

Reactions to the Dissolution

The director of Geneva NGO Trial International, Philip Grant, called the dissolution of the Swiss antenna “inevitable” given the entity’s failure to meet its obligations.

Trial International had previously filed complaints with Swiss authorities in early June, urging investigation into GHF’s compliance with Swiss and international humanitarian law. Grant believes that only actions in the United States could truly affect the Foundation’s operations in Gaza.

Stephen Cornish, Director General of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Swiss, welcomed the decision as “an important political signal” consistent with Switzerland’s humanitarian principles. He described the GHF distribution points as “fatal traps disguised in humanitarian aid,” forcing civilians to risk their lives for sustenance.

Palestinians carry aid packages near a distribution center of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Khan Younès.

Controversial Aid System

Since late May, the GHF, with backing from the United States and Israel, has operated a new aid distribution system in Gaza, replacing the previous system managed by UN agencies like UNRWA and other NGOs. The system involves four food distribution centers in military zones, run by American armed contractors. Note, that as of June 2024, UNRWA estimates that 1.7 million people, over 75% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced (UNRWA).

This new mechanism has faced widespread criticism from the humanitarian sector, with major organizations refusing to cooperate. Israel asserts that the system is necessary to prevent aid diversion by groups like Hamas.

Israel imposed a humanitarian blockade on Gaza in early March, restricting the entry of essential supplies. While the blockade has been partially lifted since the GHF system’s implementation, the population remains at risk of famine, and the healthcare system is near collapse.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will continue to operate despite the dissolution of its subsidiary in Geneva — Israeli tanks take a stand next to a distribution center of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Khan Younès.

Mounting International Pressure

More than 170 international NGOs have called for the dismantling of the GHF aid system, advocating for the restoration of the UN-coordinated mechanism. Twenty European countries, including France and Germany, also signed a letter in mid-May requesting that aid distribution be reorganized under the UN and NGOs. Switzerland did not sign, citing concerns about prejudging the foundation.

Following a visit to the Middle East, Swiss Minister of Foreign Affairs Ignazio Cassis acknowledged that the foundation “poses a problem because it does not respect humanitarian principles” but suggested it was “learning them.”

Internal Turmoil

According to reports, the Swiss representative of the GHF felt misled by foreign business partners, who allegedly withheld crucial information about the Foundation’s plan. The Geneva lawyer subsequently withdrew in May, leading to the dissolution of the Swiss structure.

In the United States, concerns over compliance with humanitarian principles have led to several high-profile departures from the Foundation, including its director Jake Wood. The Boston Consulting Group also ended its operational support mandate due to increasing criticism.

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Headline: Trump’s Deep Sea Mining Decree Sparks global Outcry: Swiss Company at the Center of UN Clash

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Trump’s Deep Sea Mining Decree Sparks Global Outcry: Swiss Company at the Center of UN Clash

Table of Contents

Trump’s Deep Sea Mining Decree Sparks Global Outcry: Swiss Company at the Center of UN Clash

the “hidden Gem” ship of the swiss company Allseas could pave the way for the mining of the seabed,since the signing of the American decree.(Credit: 2022 Sopa Images)

A controversial decree by the united States to aggressively pursue deep sea mining, even in international waters, is igniting a global dispute with the United Nations. At the heart of this geopolitical storm is a Swiss company, Allseas, possibly poised to exploit these resources.

Published: June 13, 2025

By Rachel Barbara Häubi

As the UN international conference on the ocean convenes in Nice, the debate over deep sea mining intensifies. Is it an untapped Eldorado of critical minerals, or a devastating threat to fragile marine ecosystems?

In April, former US President Donald Trump signed a decree to launch seabed mining, including in international waters. The stated goal: extract a billion tonnes of materials within a decade,resources deemed vital for energy transition,digitization,and military applications.

“Such a unilateral decision could create a dangerous precedent which could destabilize the entire global governance system of the oceans,” warns Leticia Reis de Carvalho, Secretary-General of the International Seabed authority (ISA), the UN body responsible for regulating seabed activities. Currently,commercial mining in international waters requires ISA approval,a framework established by the UN Convention on the law of the Sea (UNCLOS),which the US has never ratified.

What is Deep Sea Mining?

Demand for critical metals is skyrocketing, potentially increasing by 500% by 2050, driven by energy transition, digitalization, and the arms race. Deep sea mining aims to extract polymetallic nodules – mineral-rich pebbles – from the ocean floor.

However, scientists and environmentalists strongly criticize this technique, citing potentially devastating and poorly understood impacts on marine ecosystems. Over thirty countries, including Switzerland, are calling for a moratorium.

circumventing International Law?

“Even without ratification, the United States signed in 1994 an agreement of the Exploitation on the Mining of Marine Funds, which committed them morally to respect the Treaty,” explains Clément Chazot, Ocean specialist at the International Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN). “We could speak here of customary law, which would mean that all states are linked to it, even those who have not signed the convention.”

Under international agreements, the seabed and its resources in international waters are considered the common heritage of humanity. “No state can therefore claim, acquire or exercise sovereignty over any part of this area or its resources. It is indeed commonly accepted that this prohibition is imposed on all states, including those who have not ratified the Convention,” insists the ISA Secretary-General.

The ISA’s potential sanctions include financial penalties, suspension or termination of contracts, and other corrective actions. Member states are obligated not to recognize illegally extracted ores, preventing their sale on the global market.

Swiss Company on the Front Lines

Switzerland finds itself in a delicate position. Allseas, a Fribourg-based multinational specializing in underwater infrastructure, has confirmed its intention to participate in seabed mining following the US decree. The company, known for its involvement in projects like the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, has developed the Hidden Gem, a giant vessel designed to collect polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor.

Allseas holds a 20% stake in The Metals Company (TMC), a Canadian firm that has applied for an operating license from the US administration. This puts Switzerland,which has ratified UNCLOS and supports a moratorium on deep sea mining,in a potentially contradictory position.

Protests against deep sea mining highlight the environmental concerns surrounding the practice. (Credit: Reuters)

The Swiss government now faces increasing pressure to reconcile its support for a moratorium with the activities of a major Swiss company poised to profit from deep sea mining. The decisions made in the coming months could have significant implications for the future of ocean governance and the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems.

What do you think? Should deep sea mining be allowed to proceed, or should a moratorium be put in place to protect our oceans? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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beat-International Geneva

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will continue to operate despite the dissolution of its subsidiary in Geneva