How we’re keeping humanity alive
7 May 2024
Every year, 8 May is World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. It’s the day which celebrates the uniqueness and unity of our humanitarian Movement.
In 2024 it’s all about keeping humanity alive. We recognise the millions of Red Cross and Red Crescent people around the world, who every day provide hope and dignity during some of the darkest days of people’s lives.
Our Secretary-General, Sarah Stuart-Black said everything we do is possible because of our people. “From branch members to Meals on Wheels drivers, Red Cross Shop volunteers, and employees, everyone has a role to play in Red Cross. You’re all keeping humanity alive.”
Why 8 May? It’s the birthday of Henry Dunant, the founder of our Movement. In 1859, he came upon the scene of a bloody battle in Solferino, Italy. About 40,000 men lay dead or dying — with no medical attention. Moved by what he saw, he wrote the book ‘A Memory of Solferino’, where he shared his vision of a neutral organisation that provided care to wounded soldiers. Henry and four other men met in Geneva in February 1863 – recognised as the first meeting of our Movement.
Red Cross has been in New Zealand since 1915. When the First World War broke out in 1914 and Kiwi service personnel joined the war effort, people called for Red Cross to be formally set up in Aotearoa New Zealand. Governor-General Lord Liverpool called a meeting and in 1915 the New Zealand Branch of the British Red Cross was born.
Women fundraising for Red Cross during the First World War.
“We’ve come a long way since then,” Sarah said. During the Second World War around 1,500 Red Cross volunteers packed more than a million ‘care packages’ to send to those serving. In 1944 we helped welcome more than 700 displaced Polish children, some of New Zealand’s first refugees – the beginning of our work welcoming and supporting former refugees.
A Meals on Wheels volunteer in the early 1950s.
In the early 1950s we started preparing and delivering meals to people, which became Meals on Wheels. We've been there during New Zealand’s darkest days — including the 1953 Tangiwai disaster and the 1968 Wahine disaster — which inspired the Disaster Welfare and Support Teams we have today. Since the 1960s we've been sending people overseas to respond to humanitarian crisis and to support vulnerable communities in the Pacific and further afield.
Red Cross operations in Samoa, 2009.
Next year we celebrate 110 years of Rīpeka Whero Aotearoa | New Zealand Red Cross.
New Zealand Red Cross President Kerry Nickels acknowledges that today, our Red Cross people are out every day in local communities, helping people in need, and making a difference. “We provide help without discrimination. We’re a team of thousands of people — members, people who volunteer their time, and over 500 employees — from Kaitaia to Waihopai | Invercargill.”
With the support of our dedicated people, between June 2022 and July 2023 we:
- Recorded more than 105,000 hours of voluntary service from Red Cross volunteers.
- Deployed 323 people to assist in 15 different emergencies in Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Supported 880 former refugees to settle in Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Placed nearly 500 former refugees in work or work experience.
- Delivered more than 700,000 Meals on Wheels in 43 locations across the motu | country.
- Sent international delegates to assist overseas in 19 countries.
- Trained more than 73,000 people in first aid.
- Diverted more than 2 million items from landfill via our Red Cross Shops.
Next year we celebrate 110 years of Rīpeka Whero Aotearoa | New Zealand Red Cross and we are still hard at work across the country.
Red cross volunteers after Cyclone Gabrielle, 2023.
More information
- Find out more about what we do in Aotearoa and overseas.
What we do - If you want to get involved in our work, join us! We have over 40 branches across the motu and volunteer roles to suit everyone.
Join New Zealand Red Cross
Find a volunteer role - If you’re a member or volunteer, you can keep up to date with news and updates.
Membership: news and updates - Find out those who served in the past, as well as the incredible humanitarians we continue to deploy overseas to provide relief in conflict zones.
Red Cross service in wartime and conflict