Red Cross celebrates 150th anniversary

Baku, February 18 (AZERTAC). The world`s oldest aid organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross, is marking its 150th anniversary.

Since its inception, the ICRC has brought relief to the victims of war, bringing help to the destitute, visiting prisoners, uniting families.

It was founded in 1863 in response to the suffering witnessed at the Battle of Solferino by Geneva businessman Henri Dunant.

The movement currently employs 13,000 people working in 92 countries.

The ICRC has more than 95 million volunteers and staff around the world and has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize three times.

The ICRC has been working in Azerbaijan, in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, since 1992. It focuses on encouraging the authorities to provide answers to the families of missing persons. It monitors the problems of detainees held in connection with the conflict, detained for security reasons or otherwise vulnerable. The ICRC promotes the national implementation of international humanitarian law (IHL) and its integration into the training of the armed and security forces and into university and school curricula. The organization contributes to strengthening the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society particularly in tracing, promotion of humanitarian principles and basics of IHL. In Nagorno-Karabakh, the ICRC also supports primary-health-care services.

The ICRC, underpinned by the Geneva Conventions, has a mandate to protect victims of conflict as well as assisting victims of natural disasters.

“Now more than ever, we must not only remain true to our principles but also search for new ways to better serve the people who need help” said Peter Maurer, president of the ICRC.