New Zealand Red Cross is deeply concerned by the recent escalation of hostilities in parts of the Middle East, as well as rising tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Every day, civilians in Gaza continue to bear the brunt of armed conflict and violence, as injuries and hunger escalate and they suffer countless indignities.

Since 1960, we’ve sent team members overseas on more than 1,000 assignments to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity on the front line.

Judy Owen is our longest-serving international delegate. For 40 years, she went into conflict zones with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide humanitarian relief to the victims of war.

We, the members of the Governing Board of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), stand united in grief, solidarity, and outrage over the killings of eight dedicated volunteers and staff of the Palestine Red Crescent Society.