The Hellenic Red Cross chapter is facing the threat of being suspended and ultimately expelled from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent. The Greek Red Cross’s omissions and failure to comply with international standards and norms by renewing its articles of association, which dates back to 1965 could lead the body to be kicked out of the global family of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.

According to sources, the International body has informed the President of the Greek branch, Nikos Oikonomopoulos and the members of the Greek chapter’s board that during the scheduled meeting between the two parties that the Federation would decide next week whether the Greek body would be suspended. If suspended, the Hellenic Red Cross will no longer have the right to vote in the bodies of the International Federation and will stop all the organisation’s ongoing projects in Greece.

The Greek chapter was briefed by the President of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Francesco Rocca last April that it would be kicked out of the world’s largest humanitarian network unless he fulfilled three obligations: to call elections on 3 June 2018 (as it did), to change the articles of association allowing new volunteers to join and to be eligible to “vote and be elected” and to hold new elections with the new articles of association by October.