World Red Cross Day 2023: What is Red Cross movement and its purpose

World Red Cross Day is observed annually on May 8th. It is a day to commemorate the birthday of Henry Dunant, the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.
On this day, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world celebrate the humanitarian work they do to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable people affected by conflicts, disasters, and health emergencies. The day also serves as an opportunity to raise awareness about the principles of the Red Cross movement, including humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.
What is Red Cross?
The Red Cross is a humanitarian organization that provides assistance to people affected by conflicts, disasters, and health emergencies. It was founded in 1863 by Henry Dunant, a Swiss businessman, after he witnessed the suffering of wounded soldiers in the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino.
The Red Cross movement is based on seven fundamental principles, which are humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. These principles guide the work of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world, which are present in almost every country and provide a wide range of services, including emergency medical care, disaster relief, blood donation drives, first aid training, and community outreach programs.
Red Crescent
The Red Crescent is a humanitarian organization that operates in Muslim-majority countries and is part of the larger Red Cross movement. The organization was established in 1919 in response to the growing need for humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
The Red Crescent movement is based on the same seven fundamental principles as the Red Cross movement, which are humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. The movement provides a wide range of services, including emergency medical care, disaster relief, blood donation drives, first aid training, and community outreach programs.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a global network of national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which includes both the Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations. The IFRC works to promote cooperation and coordination between the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, and to strengthen the capacity of these organizations to respond to humanitarian emergencies and provide assistance to vulnerable communities.
Purposeof IFRC
The IFRC's purpose is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. The IFRC works to achieve this purpose through a range of activities, including:

Overall, the IFRC's purpose is to promote humanitarian values and principles, and to support the work of the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies in their efforts to alleviate suffering and improve the lives of vulnerable people around the world.