ICRC closes last office in North

Saturday, 26 March 2011 00:18 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has closed its office in Vavuniya, the ICRC said.

Vavuniya was the last ICRC office in the north of the country, as the office in Jaffna already closed at the end of February.

They are now running its operations exclusively from Colombo.

“In its role as a neutral intermediary, the ICRC worked with the parties to the conflict to protect and assist the victims of the fighting, for example by facilitating the movement of medical services and the transfer of human remains,” Romain Cachemaille, the outgoing head of the Vavuniya Office said.

The ICRC has been working in the Vavuniya since 1989, when it first opened an office in Anuradhapura. In 1997, the ICRC established a permanent presence in the town of Vavuniya. Over the years, the organisation extended its work to the surrounding districts of Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Mannar.

The ICRC will continue working with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS), to respond to remaining humanitarian needs, the press release said.

More particularly, the ICRC will continue to support beneficiaries of the Red Cross Family Visit Programme, which allows families to maintain links with relatives in custody. Here again, the ICRC is working in partnership with the SLRCS, particularly its branch in Vavuniya, the ICRC said.