World Red Cross Red Crescent Day

World Red Cross Red Crescent Day is celebrated across the globe on 8 May each year. The date marks the anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross, and the occasion offers an opportunity for the members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to celebrate the power of humanity.

It is also a chance for the different partners in the Movement -- the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the 183 National Societies - to reflect on the humanitarian ideals of protecting human dignity and providing impartial assistance to people in need, wherever they may be.

Those ideals are expressed in the good deeds carried out by their tens of millions of volunteers each day. This year, World Red Cross Red Crescent Day is dedicated to these compassionate and dedicated individuals, who are at the heart of our efforts to help vulnerable people everywhere.