Red Cross

International relief agency founded by the Geneva Convention in 1863, having been proposed by the Swiss doctor Henri Dunant, to assist the wounded and prisoners in war. Its symbol is a symmetrical red cross on a white ground. In addition to dealing with associated problems of war, such as refugees and the care of the disabled, the Red Cross is concerned with victims of natural disasters - floods, earthquakes, epidemics, and accidents. It was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1917, 1944, and 1963.

Prompted by war horrors described by Dunant, the Geneva Convention laid down principles to ensure the safety of ambulances, hospitals, stores, and personnel distinguished by the Red Cross emblem. (The Muslim equivalent is the Red Crescent.)

The organization consists of an International Committee (ICRC), an Executive Board, and a General Assembly and Executive Council. The secretary general is Didier Cherpitel, appointed in 2001.

The American Red Cross was founded in 1881.

The organization's principles held until 17 December 1996 when six foreign aid workers, including five nurses, were shot dead by masked killers at a Red Cross hospital in Chechnya in the former Soviet Union. The incident has spurred efforts to draw up new rules to protect vulnerable people working for humanitarian organizations, such as the Red Cross, in conflict zones.

The Red Cross said in June 1999 that 1998 had been the worst year for natural disasters in modern times. Most of those killed (96%) were in developing countries.