Foreign Minister Marjon Kamara is urging donors and disaster management organizations operating in Liberia to direct their focus on the trauma healing and psychosocial counseling, which she says, are very crucial to the post-Ebola recovery process.

She added that though the issue of physical health is important, the question of trauma healing and psychosocial counseling cannot be over emphasized.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, Foreign Minister Kamara made the assertion when she received the Letters of Credence from the new Country Director of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Society (IFRC-RCS) to Liberia, Mr. Younos Abdul Karim, on Friday, September 2, 2016. 

While welcoming the incoming Country Director to Liberia, Minister Kamara hailed the organization’s role in the fight against the Ebola virus disease and all that it continues to provide Liberia and its people.

She urged Mr. Karim and the Federation to keep partners informed about the progress and efforts that the organization is making in Liberia so as to attract more donor support to expand programs being implemented here.

Foreign Minister Kamara emphasized that acquainting donors and partners about the success of the program would make them responsive and more comfortable with the level of integrity in order to continue providing funds to support and expand their activities in Liberia.

She further called on the Federation to contact the Ministries of Internal Affairs and Health, the first lines of contact and response, when it comes to disaster management in Liberia; noting that these ministries can better provide adequate insight of internal disaster management and control during emergencies.

In response, the new IFRC-RCS Country Director to Liberia, Mr. Younos Abdul Karim, stressed how delighted he was to be in Liberia and expressed happiness over the warm reception accorded him since his arrival here by the Liberian Government and stakeholders.

He, at the same time, extended sincere gratitude on behalf of his organization’s Director for African Affairs to the Foreign Minister for all the support and cooperation the Ministry has accorded the Federation; adding, “We are here as a Federation to buttress the efforts of the Liberia National Red Cross Society especially in disaster management.

Mr. Karim recalled his organization’s role in the fight against the Ebola virus disease and all the support it continues to provide Liberia during and after the civil war and the post-Ebola era.

The IFRC-RCS Director also noted that though the Ebola crisis is over, the Federation is here to support post-Ebola recovery and to implement disaster management programs in Guinea and Sierra Leone.

He said as part of post-Ebola recovery program, his organization will focus its assistance in the areas of water and sanitation, primary health care, community-based health awareness programs as well as give psychosocial support to those affected by the Ebola epidemic so as to enhance post-Ebola recovery efforts by government.

Mr. Karim indicated that the International Federation of the Red Cross will join hands with its Liberian stakeholders to address the issue of capacity-building, emergency relief operation in other parts of Liberia and mainly cater to the vulnerable people in the country. 

He hailed efforts of the Liberia National Red Cross Society for the numerous humanitarian efforts it is involved with as it tries to build resilient programs to enhance government’s capacity in addressing the post-Ebola challenges. 

The brief ceremony was attended by high profile officials of the Foreign Ministry including Deputy Minister for Foreign Affair, Mr. B.  Elias Shoniyin; Deputy Ministry  for Legal Affairs, Cllr. Deweh Gray; and Deputy Minister for  International Cooperation  and Economic Integration, Mr. Dehpue Y. Zuo; among others.