HCM CITY — Nearly 600 leaders, officials and volunteers from the International Committee of the Red Cross and Việt Nam Red Cross Society took part in the 2017 World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day celebration in HCM City on Saturday.

The celebration are annually held around the world on May 8, the day the NGO’s founder, Henry Dunant, was born.

It is an opportunity to recognise the work of its volunteers and staff, including blood donations, disaster response, first aid training and health and social programmes.

Today the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the largest humanitarian network in the world, with 17 million volunteers in 190 countries, Cherine Pollini, head of office of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Việt Nam, said.

“It is a neutral and impartial body whose mission is to alleviate, on a daily basis, human suffering, protect life and health, and uphold human dignity, especially during armed conflicts and other catastrophes.

“Việt Nam is unfortunately a good example of a country which has suffered wars but also natural catastrophes.”

The Việt Nam Red Cross, along with its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners, would continue to help women, men, children and elderly, poor and rich, and all those who have been struck by fate regain dignity and hold their head up again, she added.

To mark the occasion, the Việt Nam Red Cross-HCM City Chapter and hospitals in the city pledged to accomplish more than 369 humanitarian works costing a total of VNĐ 29 billion (US$1.28 million), including building houses and providing free health insurance cards, health check-ups and treatment for the poor. — VNS