KATHMANDU, Dec. 5 -- A Nepali humanitarian and Red Cross veteran Jagan Chapagain has been selected as the new Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

"Mr Chapagain was selected today during an extraordinary meeting of the IFRC Governing Board, " an IFRC press statement said late Tuesday. Chapagain would begin his four-year mandate from February 1, 2020, succeeding the current Secretary General Elhadj As Sy.

"We are very excited to announce Jagan as our new Secretary General. He brings a deep knowledge and understanding of the Red Cross and Red Crescent," the statement quoted IFRC President Francesco Rocca as saying.

An engineer by training, Chapagain has more than 25 years exper...