The Roles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in Times of War 

The military confrontation in Iraq focuses our attention once again on the roles of various components of the international Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, in general, and the American Red Cross, in particular. In these times of uncertainty, it is important to clarify the role of the Movement components, including the American Red Cross, at home, overseas during military action and in rendering humanitarian aid to the affected populations.

The Roles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement-

International Committee of the Red Cross
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
179 National Societies, Including the American Red Cross

• Provides food, water, emergency relief and medical assistance to civilians without access to these basic necessities.
• Coordinates humanitarian relief efforts of the Movement in areas directly affected by conflict.
• Visits prisoners of war and civilian detainees held in relation to conflict to ensure that their conditions and treatment comply with the basic principles laid out in international humanitarian law (IHL).
• Conducts searches for missing persons.
• Exchanges messages to and from members of separated families.
• Reunites separated families.
• Helps to establish neutral and protected hospital and security zones in areas of conflict.
• Provides surgical equipment for war-wounded to hospitals and basic supplies to ensure that hospitals continue to operate during conflict.
• Through direct and confidential dialogue, reminds all sides participating in hostilities of their obligations under international humanitarian law - namely to respect and protect those not or no longer taking part in the fighting.
• Through direct and confidential dialogue, draws attention (to parties of the conflict) to serious IHL violations and encourages respect for IHL.
• Educates the public about IHL and the role of the ICRC in conflict (to encourage respect for the red cross and red crescent emblems) and contributes to the development of humanitarian law.

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation) is the membership association and international coordination arm for national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies throughout the world. Cooperation among national societies gives the Federation the ability to assist those most in need. The Federation endeavors to support its member national societies through capacity building. When the needs of people affected by disaster exceed the capacity of their national society, the Federation helps coordinate the international response of other national societies. During conflicts the Federation works under the leadership of the ICRC to provide humanitarian assistance as necessary.

The American Red Cross (one of the 179 recognized national societies)
As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the American Red Cross supports the provision of humanitarian relief to war victims during an armed conflict. This support includes offering assistance to civilians affected by the conflict and tracing and Red Cross message services on behalf of prisoners of war and separated civilians. Assistance is provided in accordance with the Red Cross fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality and neutrality.

The American Red Cross has a long history of offering support to the families of U.S. military personnel during times of peace and war. Putting families in touch with their loved ones in the armed forces during times of family crisis is a service that the American Red Cross is required to provide as mandated in its congressional charter.

In upholding the Fundamental Principles, including neutrality and impartiality, the American Red Cross does not take sides regarding the merits of any armed conflict. American Red Cross workers who deploy to U.S. military installations are civilians who do not carry weapons. They accompany the armed forces without actually being members of the military and provide emergency communications and other essential services.

The American Red Cross also educates the public about IHL and the activities of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

The Geneva Conventions and the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross promotes and advocates respect for the protections of the Geneva Conventions and customary IHL, especially during times of armed conflict. These protections stipulate humanitarian treatment without discrimination for wounded and sick members of the armed forces on land and at sea, prisoners of war and civilians. In 1997, the Board of Governors reaffirmed the commitment of the American Red Cross to the Geneva Conventions and to the fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. As a member of the Movement, the American Red Cross calls upon all governments to respect their obligations as defined in the Geneva Conventions and stresses the need to allow the ICRC to carry out its protective role.

Civilians displaced by conflict are especially vulnerable. They may be internally displaced persons within their native country or they may have been forced out of their country by the conflict and become refugees. In the event of war, humanitarian support to these displaced populations becomes a critical service of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Neutrality
Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies, including the American Red Cross, may not take sides in hostilities or engage at any time in political, racial, religious or ideological controversies. In this light, when controversies of such nature present themselves, whether quietly or on a community or nationwide stage, the members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement must remain neutral and provide impartial humanitarian services to victims of conflicts.

Quiet Diplomacy
The American Red Cross, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement as a whole, avoids publicly assigning fault or judging the behavior of governments with respect to violations of IHL.

Public statements alleging violations of the Geneva Conventions could jeopardize the Movement's neutrality. In particular, the efforts of the ICRC to gain access to prisoners of war or provide other critical protection and assistance services could be compromised. Instead, the ICRC, as the lead agency in cases of armed conflict, follows a strategy of "quiet diplomacy," working directly with the governments involved to achieve an appropriate level of recognition and respect for international humanitarian law.

Impartiality
The American Red Cross does not discriminate in its service delivery on the basis of nationality, race, religious belief, class or political opinion. Services are provided on the basis of need, giving priority to the most urgent cases of distress.

How The Red Cross is Preparing in the Event of War

While the American Red Cross refrains from speculating on political matters and war scenarios, precautionary response plans have been - and will continue to be - developed for domestic and international responses to the conflict in Iraq.

International Services Department
For the past six months, the American Red Cross International Services Department has been elaborating - both internally and with our partners in the Movement - emergency response strategies for a possible humanitarian crisis in Iraq. The primary Red Cross and Red Crescent partners for any response in the region will be the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation) and the national societies in every country within the region.

Given the high degree of uncertainty surrounding the potential for a humanitarian crisis in Iraq, a number of factors will simultaneously dictate American Red Cross response. In addition to internal American Red Cross capacities, external factors that will guide our response include:

• The degree to which essential lifesaving relief, such as shelter, blankets and food, is needed among the affected civilian population of Iraq.
• The size and location of mass population movements.
• The needs, capacities and capabilities of the Iraqi Red Crescent and neighboring national societies, such as the Turkish Red Crescent and the Jordan Red Crescent.
• Humanitarian needs among Iraqi civilians as defined by the ICRC.
• Humanitarian needs among refugees in bordering countries as defined in part by the Federation.

As part of any American Red Cross response to a new crisis in Iraq, we will coordinate closely with all concerned Movement partners, including the ICRC, the Federation and any affected national societies. The American Red Cross has identified several possible response options:

1. Cash contributions to the ICRC and the Federation to support emergency relief activities in and around Iraq. The extent to which the American Red Cross will support these activities will depend not only on the availability of public funding, but also on the extent of needs and other internal programmatic considerations.
2. Provision of American Red Cross procured emergency relief supplies such as tents, tarps, kitchen sets, water containers, blankets, stoves, etc., to ICRC and Federation relief operations within Iraq and in the affected countries surrounding Iraq.
3. Support to affected national societies (such as the Jordan Red Crescent) with: relief supplies, logistical support and tracing services.
4. Support to the Jordan Red Crescent with cash, relief supplies and personnel to address the needs of refugees that may arrive from Iraq.
5. The American Red Cross has maintained a delegation in Turkey since the earthquake in 1999, building the Turkish Red Crescent's domestic disaster response capacity.

Armed Forces Emergency Services
The primary mission of Armed Forces Emergency Services (AFES) is to relay emergency messages between service members and their families, offering a vital link for soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines in times of family crisis. Anticipating a significant increase in messages AFES has:

• Deployed 19 staff to the Persian Gulf region to support emergency communication and other essential services. Several more staff members will be sent overseas in the coming weeks as the number of ground troops expands.
• Trained additional per diem workers to augment staffing in the two AFES communication centers at Jefferson Park and Ft. Sill.
• Provided Red Cross chapters and stations with program materials and supplies to support the families of community-based military members being activated and deployed in record numbers.