History of the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement

It was 24^th June 1859, on Solferino battlefield (north of Italy), the French and Italian armed forces clashed each other for more than 16 hours and caused more than 40,000 deaths and injuries. 

Mr. Henry Dunant, the Swiss businessman who witnessed the happening gathered volunteers in the nearby villages to help those injured without discrimination, friends or enemies. Following that incident, Mr. Henry Dunant wrote a book on what happened on that battlefield. 

In 1862, Mr. Henry Dunant made publics known of this book “A MEMORY OF SOLFERINO” , in which he suggested two main ideas:

1. To found a rescue organization in Switzerland, and in each country, a rescue organization should be founded to help people in each respective country;

1. To establish a law giving respect to any rescue operation

In Switzerland, 5 eminent people namely Mr. Henry Dunant, General Henry Dufour, General Moinier, Medical Doctor Louis Appia and Medical Doctor Thee Monor, founded “The International Association to Rescue the Wounded People” on 17^th February 1863. In 1867, that association was then changed the name to be “The International Committee of the Red Cross” 

In 1863, once the Rescue Organization was established, there was a unanimous agreement that the Emblem used to protect the operation rescuing wounded people is the RED CROSS. At the same time, in some countries, national societies to conduct humanitarian operation to rescue wounded people in their respective homeland, where established. 

History of the Cambodian Red Cross

The Cambodian Red Cross is the largest humanitarian organization in Cambodia, established on the 18 February 1955 as the Khmer Red Cross Society and recognized by the Royal Decree No. 378 NS, 16^th June 1958. Today, the renamed Cambodia Red Cross is officially recognized as the successor of the Khmer Red Cross society by the Royal Decree of 6^th May 2002.

CRC is a voluntary aid society that aims to provide relief assistance and acts as an auxiliary to the public authorities in humanitarian services to relieve the sufferings of the most vulnerable in Cambodia. 

CRS was officially recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross on the 6^th October 1960 and was admitted as 85^th member of the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies on the 7^th October 1960.