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El Salvador

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was present in El Salvador between 1980 and 1993 during its internal armed conflict and resumed operations in the country in 2012 to protect the lives and dignity of people affected by armed violence.

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Una delegada del CICR dialoga con una niña pequeña que lee un folleto del CICR sobre el COVID-19, en un entorno rural.

Our work in El Salvador

The ICRC maintained a constant presence in El Salvador during the internal armed conflict, which lasted from 1980 to 1993. In April 2012, we reopened the ICRC mission in the country to protect and help victims of armed violence, including missing people and their families. 

We also visit places of detention to monitor the conditions in which detainees are being held. We then share recommendations confidentially with the authorities, with a view to contributing to more humane prison management and improving conditions of detention.

The ICRC works with the Salvadorean Red Cross Society to help people restore and maintain contact with their loved ones through its Restoring Family Links (RFL) services and contributes to strengthening the National Society’s capacities in the area of prehospital care.

The ICRC’s work is strictly humanitarian and guided at all times by the Fundamental Principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence.

ICRC offices supporting the region: Our work in El Salvador is supported by our regional delegation in Mexico, which also covers Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica and Belize. 

The stories of the people we help

My heart is incomplete. I have cried here in Mexico, in the United States, while travelling with the caravan of mothers. When my son left, half of my heart went with him. He was found in an unmarked mass grave in 2011, and his remains weren’t repatriated until 2015. It was a very harrowing process that turned into a battle because they wanted to cremate him and I wanted his remains returned to me, not his ashes. I’m still receiving psychotherapy now. I feel terrible grief and cry a lot; sometimes the pain eases, but it always comes back. We are still involved in the truth and justice process because we need to know what happened to my son and why.

Bertilia A mother whose son went missing as a young man

I feel very privileged to be on this basic emergency care (BEC) course that is taking place thanks to the support of the ICRC. It will greatly improve the emergency care we provide for our patients. Salvadorans will benefit greatly from this, as we treat many patients injured as a result of violence, traffic accidents and work-related accidents as well as burn victims.

María Salomé Coordinating nurse at the Apopa emergency care facility

Our services in El Salvador

  • We share practical information with migrants in an effort to help them avoid and reduce the risks they face when they are on the move and to facilitate their access to humanitarian services, such as shelters, soup kitchens and health care. We do this through various channels: WhatsApp (+521 55 80 12 90 55), the RedSafe digital platform, Facebook and our webpage.

Contact us

Address

7° Calle Poniente #3962, colonia Escalón, San Salvador, El Salvador

Telephone

+503 22632610

Opening Hours:

7am – 5pm

Write to us

Media contact

Marcela Méndez Martínez

Mobile

+52 1 55 2755 1794
Contact

Our work with the Salvadorean Red Cross Society

We work in coordination with our partner, the Salvadorean Red Cross Society, to prevent and mitigate the humanitarian consequences of violence and deliver humanitarian aid to those in need.

Go to the Red Cross page