International Red Cross

Early History

Upon witnessing the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino in Lombardy, Italy, Henri Dunant, a Swiss citizen, was shocked by the conditions of the wounded. In response, he marshaled local volunteers and rendered what help he could. Years later he recalled his experiences in A Memory of Solferino and called for the creation of groups to aid the wounded in times of war, regardless of their nationality, and to form an international agreement on principles and conventions. The compelling nature of his narrative and successful lobbying of European governments made these proposals a reality. In 1864, national societies were created to care for battlefield casualties, and to enshrine the principles of these societies in international law. The emblem used to identify the neutral volunteers on the battlefield was a red cross on a white background. Eventually, the organization came to be uniquely known by this symbol, which represents today's International Red Cross. The power of the agreement between states gave the Red Cross leave to intervene in conflict, obliged armed forces to respect the neutrality of Red Cross volunteers, and compelled nations to accept the establishment of Red Cross national societies.

Contemporary Context

The organization's principles for assistance have become the template for humanitarian organizations internationally. Among these principles is that of neutrality, which was intended to assure either party in a conflict that assistance was being provided without regard to nationality. The principle of independence holds that Red Cross national societies should be made an auxiliary of each government, but not answerable to them. This principle follows from the origins of the Red Cross in that it was created with the consent of, and exists alongside, states using their power and sanction to achieve humanitarian goals. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today holds pseudo-state power through the Geneva Conventions.

Since its formation, the Red Cross has diversified outside of armed conflict through the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC). The Red Cross is actually three different organizational forms: the International Committee (ICRC) and the Federation (IFRC) are both based in Geneva, and the National Societies are based in 186 member countries. Through the Seville Agreement of 1997, it was agreed that the IFRC focus its attention on natural disasters and recovery from conflict, while the ICRC concerns itself almost exclusively with war. However, the point of contact between disasters and the organization is usually the individual national society in the affected country.

The Mechanics of Relief

The International Red Cross prides itself on its network of national societies and a legion of volunteers implementing disaster relief and recovery operations. The ability of national societies to effectively respond to disaster usually mirrors the strength of the state in which it is based. For this reason, the ICRC, IFRC, and the national societies of developed nations work continuously on developing the capacity of national societies. Where required, national societies can ask for outside assistance from the ICRC and the IFRC, which in turn launch international appeals for funding from donor nations. The ICRC and IFRC have regional offices throughout the world able to support national societies in the planning and execution of relief operations. Prior to receiving appeal assistance, the IFRC has a Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) that can be used for immediate relief needs. National societies from developed nations can also send technical experts as delegates, [Page 355]provide funding, or specialized services through Emergency Response Units (ERUs). The international Red Cross has long recognized the link between poverty and disaster, and most relief efforts also include a recovery and preparedness component aimed at reducing the impact of future disasters.

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