By Kenneth Thompson
The International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC will end their operations in Sierra Leone by December this year and will continue to give only technical and material support to the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society up to the end of 2014. Speaking at a ceremony to mark 150 years since the founding of the ICRC, the officer in charge of Sierra Leone and Guinea, Abdul Keteps Kaikai said they were leaving Sierra Leone because of the “progress” made in consolidating peace in the country. He said the ICRC’s mandate was to assist and protect people adversely affected by armed conflict or the situation of violence or disaster despite the fact that they continue to address the aftermath of conflict or hostilities to bridge the gap between emergency aid and the need for development support. The Former president of the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society, Dr. Muctarr Jalloh thanked the ICRC for its “extensive and intensive humanitarian work in the country since 1991”, and in particular for their assistance in “our brutal and internecine civil war, their support during the 2012 cholera outbreak, and more recently their role in providing support to victims of the King Jimmy bridge collapse”. Dr Jalloh welcomed the decision of the ICRC to leave the country and encouraged more partners to support the Serra Leone Red Cross Society at this more than ever before, so they can fulfil their mandate since their major source of support, the ICRC, was leaving the country. (C) Politico 24/09/13
