Our history in brief

Henry Dunant, a Swiss banker, witnessed the battle of Solferino in 1859. He saw how 40,000 people were left dead or wounded, without help. That was inhumane. He mobilized the local population and established aid stations to care for the wounded from both sides.

His vision and principles were the basis for the founding of the International Red Cross in 1863. In 1864 , the Belgian Red Cross was founded and now the Red Cross operates in 191 countries worldwide, with as many as 12 million volunteers.

As human beings, we are vulnerable in unforeseen circumstances. As individuals and as a community, we can make ourselves and each other more resilient by helping each other. Thus, we are better prepared to face accidents, disasters and other emergencies.