The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies yesterday launched a Sh80 million national appeal to assist disaster victims.
 

Speaking at the Kenya Red Cross Society Headquarters in Nairobi, the federation's secretary-general, Mr Didier Cherpitel, said more than 150,000 people displaced by floods and landslides need assistance.

He said: ''Today, we are launching an appeal for 1.7 million Swiss Francs (Sh80 million) to assist the families. I appeal to members of the diplomatic corps to support the federation to assist Kenya Red Cross work in the affected areas.''

In an immediate response to the appeal, mobile phone provider Safaricom donated Sh100,000, blankets worth Sh100,000 and 10 mobile phones to be used by staff of the disaster coordinating committees.

Present were head of the regional delegation of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Mr Francoise Le Goff, Kenya Red Cross secretary-general Abbas Gullet, a Deputy Secretary in the Office of the President in charge of relief and rehabilitation, Mr Samuel Maina, Mr Vinrod Nicod, who heads the ICRC Kenya delegation, and Col Bonventure Wendo, director of the National Disaster Operations Centre.

Mr Cherpitel, is in the country from Geneva said the launch was a short term appeal said it was targeted at  both the international, the diplomatic missions , the European Union and Kenyans of goodwill and announced that an international appeal would be officially launched on Monday.