Henrik Beer; Swede Led Relief Societies
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GENEVA — Henrik Beer, a former secretary-general of the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies is dead, the league announced Monday. He was 71.
Beer, a Swede who served as top executive of the league from 1960 until his retirement in 1981, died at his Geneva home Saturday after a long illness, according to the report. It did not give the cause of death.
Beer coordinated Sweden’s relief efforts for war victims during World War II and was secretary-general of the Swedish Red Cross until his appointment to the Geneva post.
While he held the international office, membership increased from 86 to 127 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies with a total membership of 230 million people. The league’s principal task is to organize international help in times of natural disaster.
The Red Crescent is the Muslim version of the Red Cross.
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