The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies organize activities to highlight the unique role of the movement every year in times of conflict, natural disasters and other crisis. They have been rendering humanitarian support to deprived communities for more than 150 years now, according to one of the speakers.

Rev. Sahr Christian Fayia who is the President for Sierra Leone Red Cross Society noted that their role is critical in providing urgent life saving assistance, as well as working with communities to help them recover to be stronger and more resilient to future disasters.

“The intractable humanitarian issues our world faces will not be solved only by an organization. They will also be solved by people who come together, fueled by a determination and passion to alleviate human suffering,” he told his audience.

Since the parliamentary decision was taken in 2012 to provide subvention to the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society,the Society is yet to receive any fund from the government. He mentioned that foreign donors have refused to fund them, adding that they are calling on the government to make good their promise to the SLRCS to make their work easier.

Mohamed Orman Bangur who is the Minister of Youth Affairs said the work of the SLRCS cannot be overemphasized because during the past years, the SLRCS has been taking the lead in fighting natural and man-made disasters across Sierra Leone

He recalled that during the Ebola and mudslide sagas, the SLRCS helped recover bodies while providing relief items to victims and survivors. “And so with subvention from the government, the SLRCS will be able to do better and bigger things,” the Youth Minister said.