TEHRAN (Iran News) – The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) inaugurated 5,400 “crescent houses” across the country on Monday to expand services of volunteer members to the needy in normal and critical situations in urban and rural areas.

The Red Crescent Society houses are centers with a volunteer structure in order to promote the culture of volunteerism, attention to peace and friendship, human dignity in society as well as strengthening the spirit of advocacy in times of peace and crisis.

Launched with a budget of 1.3 trillion rials (about $31 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials), the centers were inaugurated by First Vice-President Is’haq Jahangiri, and IRCS Head Karim Hemmati.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society is one of the most effective and credible international relief organizations, having the largest number of young volunteers, providing medical care in several countries, and producing pharmaceutical products, medical and relief equipment.

Established in 1922, IRCS operates as a humanitarian organization in the fields of rescue and relief in disasters, health, treatment, and rehabilitation, educating the public, youth, and volunteers, as well as the production of medicine and medical equipment.

In 2005, the IRCS received the Henry Davison Award for outstanding humanitarian services, and the IRCS initiative of volunteers was selected as the best project (out of 50 projects from 45 national societies), by the General Assembly of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

World Red Cross Day

May 8th marks the birthday anniversary of Henry Dunant who was at the origin of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Each year, members of the International Movement organize various events on this occasion to commemorate the unique and vital role that this Movement plays to help affected people all across the world.

The International Movement of the Red Cross and Red Crescent is a worldwide humanitarian network with today 11.6 million volunteers and more than 450,000 staff members. This global network paves the ground for the activities of the Movement in more than 190 countries in the world.

The Movement is composed of three main pillars, namely the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and around 190 Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies.