The Red Cross is a humanitarian network founded in 1863, focused on disaster relief and assistance to victims of conflicts and health crises. It comprises three components: the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and national Red Cross/Red Crescent societies, which play crucial roles in emergency response, recovery, and preparedness. The Pakistan Red Crescent Society, established in 1947, operates branches across the country, adhering to fundamental principles such as humanity, impartiality, and voluntary service.

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THE RED CROSS
“The Red Cross is an international humanitarian network founded in 1863 in Switzerland, with
chapters worldwide that provide assistance to victims of disasters, armed conflict and health crises.
The Red Cross’s“roots date to 1859, when businessman Henry Dunant witnessed the bloody
aftermath of the Battle of Solferino in Italy, in which there was little medical support for injured
soldiers. Dunant went on to advocate for the establishment of national relief organizations made up
of trained volunteers who could offer assistance to war-wounded soldiers, regardless of which side of
the fighting they were on. (Editors, 2018)
Since its inception the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has established an
international presence in disaster management and has developed strong partnerships with local
institutions and the ability to provide immediate and effective disaster response services.
There are three distinct and interrelated components of the movement:
1. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC is an impartial, neutral
and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the
lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with
assistance.
2. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). is the
world’s largest humanitarian organization, providing assistance without discrimination as
to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions.
3. Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies: Almost every community in every country in the
world has a Red Cross/Red Crescent society. National Red Cross/Red Crescent societies
have pivotal roles in responding to emergencies and provide a range of humanitarian
services including disaster relief and health programmes. However, with increasing needs
and decreasing resources in many countries, national societies continue to provide
assistance beyond the response phase, and into long periods of reconstruction and
recovery. Red Cross/Red Crescent societies also contribute their efforts to mitigation and
preparedness efforts.
PAKISTAN RED CRESCENT SOCIETY (PRCS):
“The Pakistan Red Crescent was founded in Pakistan on December 20, 1947
by an Order called “The Pakistan Red Cross Order” issued by Quaid-e-Azam, as
Governor General of Pakistan and Founding President of the Society. With its
National Headquarters in the Federal Capital Islamabad, the Society has its
Branches in all five Provinces, one regional branch at Federally Administered
Tribal Area (FATA), Federal Capital Territory of Islamabad Branch and the
State Branch of AJK.” (PRCS)
“Through these branches, and 92 district level branches the PRC coordinates its field operations. This
vast network is managed through a dedicated team of staff and volunteers drawn from a wide cross-
section of the society.”

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“The Society in its working draws inspiration from seven fundamental principles of the
‘Movement’, namely: Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service,
Unity and Universality.” (PRCS)
Core Areas of Working of PRCS:
REFERENCES
PRCS. (n.d.). History of Pakistan red crescent. Retrieved from http://prcs.org.pk/history-of-pakistan-red-crescent/
Editors. (2018, August 21). Red Cross. Hisotry.com. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/red-cross