‘Red Cross volunteers working in every community with commitment’

“Red Cross volunteers are working in virtually every community, giving their commitment, energy and time,” Sri Lanka Red Cross President Jagath Abeysinghe said on the 189th birthday of Movement’s founder Henry Dunant.

Every year, around the world, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement reaches more than 160 million people through its network of around 17 million volunteers and 450,000 staff.

In Sri Lanka alone, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society along with its Movement partners reach more than three million people annually, building safer and stronger communities through a diverse and innovative range of services tailored to local needs. From building shelter to the people who have suffered from the conflict in the North to providing first aid support to people across the country the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society provides these services through the tireless dedication of their volunteers.

“World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, May 8 , is an opportunity to recognise the contribution and achievements of the millions of volunteers and staff members around the world who are keeping our commitment to humanity every day by making the last mile effort to ensure that no one is left behind,”

Claire Meytraud the Head of Delegation of the ICRC said in Sri Lanka.

“In complex contexts with increasing vulnerabilities, our ability to access people in need is constantly changing,” Leon Prop, Head of Country Cluster Support Team for Sri Lanka said at the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies. “But our volunteers and staff are finding creative and innovative ways to adapt local solutions to reach people in need and help them prepare for, deal with and recover from these challenges.”

Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, an Intergovernmental organisation and since its inception in 1936, has been and will continue to be aiding the most vulnerable people in Sri Lanka.

The work of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – comprised of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and 190 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies draws on more than 150 years of humanitarian action.