8 May 2013 - 150 years of humanitarian action

Past, present and future

Beneficiary Communication: Arming people with life-saving information

Beneficiary Communication: Arming people with life-saving information

‘People need information as much as water, food, medicine or shelter’, states the 2005 World...

From Victorian London to the Global Water and Sanitation Initiative

From Victorian London to the Global Water and Sanitation Initiative

Ask a public health specialist about their hero and they might tell you about the exploits of Dr...

Volunteering: At the heart of the movement

Volunteering: At the heart of the movement

“I started as a volunteer for the Red Cross youth in 1969”, remembers Oscar Zuluaga who first...
First aid: a life-saving legacy for all

First aid: a life-saving legacy for all

The first recorded successful resuscitation dates back to 896BC. The mouth-to-mouth technique was...

The healthy future of the Movement depends on listening to its youth members

The healthy future of the Movement depends on listening to its youth members

By Dr Massimo Barra*, Vice President of the Standing Commission of the International Red Cross an...

Building community resilience in a changing climate

Building community resilience in a changing climate

Sudden flooding kills at least 46 people in Argentina. 70,000 people affected by unusual cold wav...
150 years of humanitarian action - a joint statement

Since the Red Cross and Red Crescent idea came to light 150 years ago, what has remained constant is the suffering of millions of people that our organizations work so hard to alleviate. What has changed dramatically is the geopolitical, social and technological world within which we work.

Today on World Red Cross Red Crescent Day, together with 187 National Societies across the world, we celebrate one and a half century of joint humanitarian action. We look to the future with hope. We look to the people we serve as inspiration.

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8 May 2013 video

A message from the IASC

On this day we, the heads of the UN and non-UN humanitarian organisations assembled in the Inter-Agency Standing Commission (IASC), global humanitarian policy forum, pay tribute to 100 million members, volunteers and supporters of the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in 187 National Societies worldwide.

We acknowledge their dedication to assist people affected by conflict and disaster, guided solely by needs.

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The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, with 187 member National Societies. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, our work is guided by seven fundamental principles; humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. About this site & copyright