Our Correspondent
Kohima | August 3
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed keen desire to set up projects in Nagaland by next year but have expressed fears at facing some ‘serious hurdles.’ A team from the international humanitarian organization, which arrived in the state capital on July 27 to make evaluation and assessment, has identified a couple or major probable hurdles. The hurdles’ include severe lack of medical personnel in the remote places due to lack of facilities such as accommodation, infrastructure, water and sanitation besides persistence of malaria.
Interacting with newspersons at the Red Cross Building here today, Deputy Head of Delegation Yahia Alibi of Tunisia informed that the organization would, however, be sending another delegation to the state to make further assessment and will select places to set up the projects. The team would assess the needs of Nagaland and would aim to enhance capacities of the Nagaland branch to be more effective and responsive to help the needy people of the state. The delegation’s chief disclosed that it is contemplating setting up medical centers such as orthopedic and rehabilitation centers. The organization has already set up orthopedic centers in Kashmir and Assam.
He informed that the international organization would be wholly funding any project to be taken up by ICRC and that it has already set a target for 2010 to implement them. Another member of the delegation, Cecile Coudeyras, a French national, would be arriving in Dimapur tomorrow to join the delegation.
