Skip to main content
Home International Committee of the Red Cross
Find help Donate
Back
  • Happening now
    Happening now

    Discover what’s new

    Stay updated with the latest news and ongoing initiatives of the ICRC.

    Latest operations

    Featured

    • A community kitchen in Myanmar
      Myanmar: One month on, earthquake survivors face continuing challenges
    • Red Cross Field Hospital aerial shot
      The Red Cross Field Hospital one year on: A lifeline and a stark reminder in Ga…
    • Red Cross staff at a water distribution
      Every attack on a humanitarian is an attack on the community they served. A sta…
  • Who we are
    Who we are

    We are the International Committee of the Red Cross

    Neutral, impartial, and independent. Discover our values and mission.

    Discover who we are
    • About us
      Our rich history, our mandate and mission, and our Fundamental Principles are behind the work we do to protect and save lives.
    • How we are run
      Our President and leadership, our finances and our accountability ensure the integrity of our humanitarian operations.
    • International Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement
      The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the largest humanitarian network in the world.
  • What we do
    What we do

    Our work to protect people affected by conflict

    The ICRC responds quickly and efficiently to help people affected by armed conflict.

    All our activities

    In focus

    • ICRC working with the Myanmar Red Cross Society to support people displaced by violence in Pin Laung and Hsi Hseng, to provide emergency aid. Photographer: Thang Khan Sian Khai
      Protection: Upholding the rights of people in conflict
    • Reconnecting families: Preventing separation, searching for the missing, reunit…
    • Helping detainees: Protecting and assisting people deprived of their liberty
  • Where we work
    Where we work

    Explore our global reach

    We have offices in over 90 countries around the world, providing assistance and protection to people affected by conflict.

    ICRC around the world

    Key operations

    • Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Ethiopia
    • Israel and the occupied territories
    • Lebanon
    • Myanmar
    • Sudan
    • Syria
    • Ukraine
    • Yemen
  • Law & Policy
    Law & Policy

    Law & Policy

    Gain insights into the ICRC's role in developing and promoting international humanitarian law and policy.

    Discover more
    • Geneva Conventions and the law
      Even wars have rules. The Geneva Conventions are at the core of international humanitarian law.
    • Topics, debates and disarmament
      Weapons and disarmament, protected persons and other contemporary challenges for international humanitarian law.
    • Teaching IHL, research, Advisory Service and other resources
      We support the teaching, learning and implementation of humanitarian law principles.
  • Support us
    Support us

    Partner with us

    We invite organizations, institutions and philanthropists to join us in our mission to alleviate the suffering of those affected by armed conflict.

    How to partner with us

    Support us

    Find out how you as an individual can contribute to our humanitarian efforts to help people suffering because of armed conflict.

    How to support us
    • Ukraine: the crisis continues
    • Urgent: Israel-Gaza emergency appeal
    • Myanmar_Red Cross earthquake
      Urgent help needed: Myanmar earthquakes
  • Find help
  • Donate
  • Events
  • Contact us
  • Report an incident of misconduct
  • Work with us
  • FAQ
ICRC Websites
Photo gallery
22-02-2018

Myanmar: Six months on in the Rakhine crisis

  • Myanmar
  • Protected persons: Internally displaced persons

Share

  • Share on X
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Facebook
CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Hla Yamin Eain

Leaving home

In Maungdaw, on the Alal Than Kyaw Beach, men, women and children wait for boats to cross to Bangladesh. They fashion temporary shelters from whatever materials they can find, including blankets, mats and tarpaulins.

CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Hla Yamin Eain

Providing basic needs

At another crossing point, at Pa Nyaung Pin Gyi beach, at the mouth of the Naf River, men queue for food and water in the hot sun. The Red Cross distributes food and water at several different locations for families waiting to cross the border.

CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Sarah Avrillaud

Safe delivery kits

We handed safe delivery kits to a group of pregnant women on Ale Than Kyaw beach, while they were waiting to cross to Bangladesh. The kits contain clean soap, plastic sheeting, bandages, gloves and information on the childbirth process and caring for a newborn.

CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Hla Yamin Ein

A sympathetic ear

Not all aid takes the form of tangible items. Sometimes what people need is someone to listen to them and their concerns. At the Alal Than Kyaw Beach in Maungdaw, a Red Cross staff member listens to the woes of the people.

CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Hla Yamin Eain

Going the extra mile

Delivering aid to remote areas doesn’t always go according to plan, especially if it rains. In the last six months, in northern Rakhine, more than 200 Red Cross staff have travelled by truck and car, boat or by foot to reach out to those most in need of help.

CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Hla Yamin Eain

Going home

Help can come in many different forms, including unconditional cash grants. Here, a woman and child at Buthidaung Jetty, in Rakhine State, receive boat fare, so that they can return home after the cessation of violence.

CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Slthi Nyein

Trapped by violence

This child was one of the hundreds of people trapped inside Baw Tu Lar village because of the surrounding conflict. We distributed food and hygiene kits to her family and many others who didn’t have food because the markets were closed.

CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Hsu Yee Hnin

A helping hand

A man from the local community fixes a bridge on the way to Min Kha Maung village, Rakhine State. He was kind enough to help our trucks get through. It is common for community members to take an active role in improving their infrastructure and living conditions.

On 25 August 2017, a spate of violence in northern Rakhine State sparked an exodus of 688,000 people fleeing across the border to neighbouring Bangladesh. They crossed by land, river and sea, taking with them their most precious possessions – in some cases carrying family members who could not walk themselves.

No one could have foreseen the scale of this crisis. The violence has had a profound impact on all those living in northern Rakhine State. Markets have been disrupted, access to schools and health clinics has been cut, livelihoods have been lost and people have been displaced. Villages have been burned down to the ground. The fabric of several communities has been changed forever.

During this time, the Red Cross Movement has led the humanitarian response providing more than 200,000 people with food, water, health care, cash and other aid. More than 200 staff members have travelled by foot, car, truck and boat to reach the remotest of communities. The need for humanitarian help still remains very high.

Some areas are now relatively calm and stable but others remain tense. People are still fleeing and those left behind are anxious and uncertain about their future.

The Red Cross Movement is committed to assisting the community in the long term, helping it recover from the events of the last six months.

Related articles

Photo gallery
29-12-2023

Mozambique: 2023 in pictures

Photo gallery
21-12-2023

Myanmar: The year 2023 in pictures

Photo gallery
27-06-2022

ICRC seed and cash assistance throughout Ethiopia

More photo galleries

Topic-dedicated ICRC websites

Explore our blogs, apps, reviews and other resources dedicated to humanitarian impact, insight, law and policy.

ICRC Websites

Direct access

  • Find help
  • Donate
  • Events
  • Contact us
  • Report an incident of misconduct
  • Work with us
  • FAQ

Newsletter

Fields marked with * are required
To learn how we process your data, visit our Privacy Notice.
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • Privacy policy
  • Tax deduction
  • Privacy Settings
  • Community guidelines

Terms and conditions - ICRC ©2025 - All right reserved