IFRC to operate in TZ soon, House told

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, (Labour, Youth, Employment & Disabled), Patrobas Katambi, has said the government is at the final stages of completing the registration of International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent (IFRC) in the country.

He made the statement at the Parliament in Dodoma on Wednesday when responding to a question from Judith Kapinga (Special Seats), who was asking on behalf of Mufundi South Member of Parliament, David Kihenzile, who is also the President of Red Cross in Tanzania, who sought to know when the government plans to complete the registration of the IFCR in Tanzania.

Elaborating, the deputy minister said they began by holding discussions with the federation and talking to stakeholders, and that currently the Foreign Affair and East African Cooperation ministry is finalizing the governmental protocols and internal procedures for its completion.

“The main task of this federation is to carry out activities of helping disaster victims and strengthening the capacity of its members in dealing with disasters. Due to the importance of the federation in our country, we are now winding up contract issues for the IFRC offices to be officially opened and operate in the country,” Mr Katambi said.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network. Their secretariat supports local Red Cross and Red Crescent action in more than 192 countries, and in Tanzania it was established in 1962 after the country’s ratification of the Geneva Conventions of 1949.

However, the minister said after completion of the registration, they will ask the Red Cross to consider employing more Tanzanian nationals.