We are the International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been on the front line for humanity since 1863, working to preserve human dignity and relieve human suffering whenever war or armed violence strikes.
Present in over 90 countries worldwide, we act resolutely to provide humanitarian assistance to whoever needs it most, regardless of race, religion, gender or politics. In collaboration with our Red Cross and Red Crescent partners around the world, we do everything we can to deliver life-saving aid across front lines, reconnect families and locate missing people. We press authorities to give us access to detainees and strive to improve their living conditions.
We actively engage with the authorities and armed forces on all sides, urging them to fulfil their duty under the Geneva Conventions to protect those who don’t fight from harm, including in the digital sphere. We hold sensitive discussions, often bilaterally and in confidence, aiming to prevent further harm and help all sides better comply with international humanitarian law.
In the darkest of times, we stand up for our shared humanity by promoting the rules of war and rallying the world to call on those with the authority to do so to enforce them effectively.
160 years on the side of humanity: A commitment that has never waned
The ideas and actions that led to the creation of the largest humanitarian movement in the world are still as startlingly modern and pertinent as ever. The pictures presented here pay homage to the millions of people who are working hard still today to put into practice the ideas of one man who came face to face with the horrors of war 160 years ago.
