|
The International Committee of the Red Cross - facts and figures
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is based in 80 countries with more than 12,000 staff. The ICRC has a permanent mandate under international law to take impartial action for prisoners, the wounded and sick, and civilians affected by conflict.
In 2008, ICRC provided food for more than 2.8 million people and emergency supplies such as tents and blankets for almost 3.3 million people. Water, sanitation and construction projects supported 15 million people.
Around 3.4 million people, more than half of them children, benefited from ICRC supported health care facilities. In collaboration with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around 667,000 messages were exchanged between family members separated by hostilities and other crises.
The following facts and figures provide an overview of the work of ICRC worldwide (2008).
People deprived of their freedom
ICRC visited security detainees and prisoners of war in 2,387 places of detention.
| Total number of visits to detainees |
|
494,540 |
| Detainees newly registered and visited |
|
21,046 |
| Female detainees visited |
|
1,124 |
| Prisoners of war visited |
|
231 |
Restoring family links
ICRC reunites family members separated by armed conflict. Red Cross Messages enable families to stay in contact and share news during conflict situations.
| Red Cross messages collected |
|
345,634 |
| Red Cross messages distributed |
|
321,444 |
| Telephone calls facilitated between family members |
|
3,958 |
| People reunited with their families |
|
880 |
| Unaccompanied/separated children registered |
|
2,003 |
| Unaccompanied/separated children reunited with their families |
|
1,252 |
Water, food, health, economic security
ICRC provided urgently needed food, safe drinking water, sanitation and shelter.
| Number of beneficiaries who received food |
|
2,791,628 |
| Number of water and habitat beneficiaries |
|
15,036,001 |
| Number of health education session held |
|
16,083 |
| Number of health centres supported |
|
379 |
| Number of medical outpatients treated |
|
444,589 |
Physical rehabilitation
ICRC provided support to 82 rehabilitation centres worldwide.
| Number of patients receiving services from centres |
|
167,968 |
| Number of prostheses delivered |
|
20,817 |
| Number of wheelchairs delivered |
|
2,503 |
Further information
|
