International Red Cross

When wars and conflicts are raging, Red Cross is often the only organisation, who can help the victims. This is possible because Red Cross has a special mandate, which has been written into the Geneva Conventions. The mandate offers Red Cross’ employees the possibility to unhindered help the victims in both sides of a conflict.

Everybody – also the belligerent parties - knows that Red Cross remains neutral in conflicts and only obeys one command; the cry for help. Even if the warring parties finds out that Red Cross is helping their enemies, they let Red Cross do their job. Because they will get help to, if the cartridges and bombs will hit them one day.

Neutrality is hence why one of the seven basic principles for Red Cross.

The six other principles are humanity, impartiality, independence, voluntariness, unity and university.

It is ICRC, who is responsible for our international work, when it concerns war – or when it takes place in the areas, where war occurs. An example of the first is Afghanistan, where the war is apparent for everyone. And after the tsunami, ICRC helped with the catastrophe in the northern part of Sri Lanka, where civil war was taking place.

IFRC is an association of Red Cross and Red Crescent in 186 countries in the world. The overall decision making is being done democratically in the 186 branches. Furthermore there is a daily management, which is situated in Geneva, Switzerland.