Red Cross reconsidering Pakistan presence

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 10 (UPI) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross said it is reviewing its presence in Pakistan after the murder of Khalil Rasjed Dale, a health program manager.

"The recent attack against the ICRC compels us to completely reassess the balance between the humanitarian impact of our activities and the risks faced by our staff," Jacques de Maio, the ICRC's operation's chief South Asia, said Thursday in a release.

The ICRC already has put on hold activities it handled from its offices in Peshawar and Karachi, as well as its operations in Balochistan, where Dale led a public health program for nearly a year, the organization said.

"We are painfully aware that these measures are having a severe and far-reaching impact on wounded, sick, physically disabled and other vulnerable people," said Paul Castella, head of the ICRC delegation in Pakistan.

Pakistani authorities found Dale's decapitated body last month near Quetta. Dale, a British doctor working for ICRC was kidnapped in January.

"We are currently analyzing the situation and the environment with a view to setting out a clear and sustainable way forward," Castella said. "In the coming weeks, the ICRC will announce a decision on its future presence and setup in Pakistan."