ICRC denies overruling, but says the list was finalized on the last day
ICRC today denied media reports which said that a Minister overruled a list of beneficiaries selected by ICRC to handover two wheel tractors to Farmers.
This was stated to us by Sarasi Wijeratna the Communication Officer of the ICRC Sri Lanka when we contacted her over a story published by the Sunday times and subsequently picked by
www.news360.lk.
We ran the story under the title of “Minister overrules ICRC list of beneficiaries and replace it with people of his choice”
Wijeratna denied the story and said “The list of beneficiaries was agreed in advance”.
However she said “the list was finalized on the day where the two wheel tractors were handed over to the farmers”
When asked whether it was the ICRC practice to wait until the final day to finalize the list, Wijeratna said “not always”
She said “what is important is that the distribution took place according to what was agreed on”.
According to Wijeratna the handing over ceremony which was expected to start at 9 am has been delayed until 4 pm.
When asked why the delay was she said “Things have to be put in place”
The Sunday times ran a photo caption which showed the Head of the ICRC sub delegation in Vavuniya Maryse Limonar crying after the incident, as the paper reported.
When questioned pertaining to this photograph, Wijeratna said “it could have been anything”.
ICRC is currently in the process of helping the northern returnees by assisting them with basic needs keeping inline with the early recovery plan of the Presidential taskforce.
Under this program, they have already distributed 310 tractors to the Northern Farmers along with several other equipments.
http://www.news360.lk/politics/icrc...t-says-the-list-was-finalized-on-the-last-day