150 years of humanitarian action with the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

08-05-2013 Photo gallery

In 1863, the same year the Red Cross was created, the first Red Cross Society – the Society for the Relief of the Wounded – was founded in the State of Württemberg. Now, 150 years later, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has 188 National Societies in what solidarity and cooperation have made the largest humanitarian network in the world. Here is a series of photos illustrating the cooperation between the ICRC and the National Societies down through their history.

- 1870. When the Franco-German war broke out in 1870 the British National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War (the future British Red Cross) had just been set up. In its London office, volunteers sorted and packed bandages for wounded French and Prussian soldiers. The ICRC, for its part, opened an International Agency for the Relief of Wounded Soldiers, playing its role of neutral intermediary for the first time.
  / hist-00216-17
- 1936. Plane delivered by the ICRC to the Ethiopian Red Cross, for transporting the wounded, and relief supplies. At the outbreak of the war between Italy and Ethiopia (1935-36) the ICRC offered its assistance to the National Societies of both countries. The Italian Red Cross declined the offer, but the newly formed Ethiopian Red Cross asked in particular for medical aircraft and ambulances, and a joint relief operation involving the ICRC, the Ethiopian Red Cross and several other National Societies was set up.
  © ICRC Library / hist-02753-24a
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- 1936 – 1939. Spanish Civil War. On the roof of the central Spanish Red Cross hospital in Madrid, protected from the bombings by the red cross emblem, during a visit by ICRC representatives. During the Spanish Civil War the ICRC delivered medical equipment to the Spanish Red Cross, which in turn supported the ICRC in setting up agencies to gather information on prisoners.
  © RC Spain / hist-01862-12
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- 1945. Receipt for a parcel sent by the American Red Cross to a British prisoner of war through the intermediary of the ICRC. A large proportion of the relief distributed to prisoners of war in the Allied countries was entrusted by National Societies to the ICRC, which transported it and distributed it to prisoners in the camps.
  © ICRC / hist-03259-14a
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- 1949. Mazeike, Greece. The ICRC and the Greek Red Cross launched a joint relief action for Greek children, in which food, clothing and shoes were distributed.
  © ICRC / hist-03012-27
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- 1968 – 1970. Biafran War, Nto-Edino camp. A doctor from the Swedish Red Cross, accompanied by volunteers from the Biafran Red Cross, distributes vitamins. At the time the ICRC did not yet have a medical unit, and several National Societies lent it doctors and nurses who took part in medical and relief operations.
  © ICRC / Max Vaterlaus / ng-n-00061-14
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- 1984. A team from the Honduran Red Cross and the ICRC travelling in a dugout canoe to Silma Lila, a refugee camp for Miskitos. It is transporting a bag of Red Cross messages, bringing the refugees news of their loved ones who stayed behind in Nicaragua.
  © ICRC / T. Gassmann / hn-d-00002-14
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- 1987. Beirut, the “war of the camps”. After the siege of Shatila refugee camp – which lasted for several months, and during which the wounded were treated by the Palestinian Red Crescent – an evacuation became possible at last. It was organized jointly by the Lebanese Red Cross and the ICRC.
  © ICRC Library / A. Hassan / lb-n-00210-21
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- 1989. Kabul. In the Afghan Red Crescent dispensary – supported by the ICRC – two nurses clean a patient’s wounds, assisted by an interpreter.
  © CICR / R. Bigler
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- 2002. Gaza, Rafah camp. Volunteers from the Palestinian Red Crescent and ICRC employees unload relief supplies (blankets, kitchen utensils, hygiene items, etc.) for Palestinians whose houses have been demolished by the Israeli Defence Forces.
  © CICR / J. Barry / il-n-00063-18
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- 2006. A Nigerian Red Cross volunteer and an ICRC delegate talk to detainees in Koton-Karfe prison. The ICRC and the Nigerian Red Cross worked together to improve living conditions in the prison by rehabilitating the sanitary facilities and providing a yard where detainees can take exercise.
  © ICRC / B. Heger / ng-e-00090
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- 2007. Erez Checkpoint, Gaza. A Palestinian woman is evacuated by employees of the ICRC and the Magen David Adom. On her way to Israel for treatment, the patient was brought by the Palestinian Red Crescent as far as this checkpoint, where Magen David Adom took over responsibility for her. The transfer took place under the auspices of the ICRC.
  © ICRC / A. Gutman / il-e-01377
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- 2010. Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A major relief operation, run jointly by the ICRC, the International Federation and many National Societies, came to the aid of those affected by the January 2010 earthquake. Here a volunteer from the Iranian Red Crescent is treating a wounded patient in the Finnish Red Cross field hospital.
  © ICRC / M. Kokic / ht-e-00529
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- 2011. Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. In the wake of typhoon Washi, one of the most urgent problems was the lack of access to drinking water. Here, specialists from the ICRC and the Philippine Red Cross connect pipes to the main water source.
  © ICRC / O. Sinsuat / ph-e-00549
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- 2012. Colombia. A volunteer from the Colombian Red Cross and an ICRC delegate warn members of a community living in a conflict area about improvised explosive devices and explosive remnants of war, and explain how to prevent the accidents they cause.
  © ICRC / O. Ordonez / co-e-02322
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- Throughout the world, National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and their International Federation are the ICRC’s natural and preferred partners. The purpose of their cooperation is to give a rapid, coordinated response to the humanitarian needs of people affected by armed conflict and other violent situations.
  © ICRC / M. Kokic / it-e-00078
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150 years of humanitarian action with the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

08-05-2013 Photo gallery

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