The Albanian Red Cross (

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

: ''Kryqi i Kuq Shqiptar, KKSH''), or ARC, is the national society member of the

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a worldwide humanitarian aid organization that reaches 160 million people each year through its 192-member National Societies. It acts before, during and after disas ...

for

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

. The oldest humanitarian organization in Albania, it was founded on October 4, 1921, and was officially recognized by the

Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...

in 1923. Its

headquarters Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the to ...

are located in the Albanian capital of

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

, and its 39 branches provide humanitarian assistance across the country in accordance with the Fundamental Principles.

History

Foundation

The first activity of the Red Cross Movement in Albania was in 1920, when aid from the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...

was distributed at the rear of the

Albanian Army The Albanian Land Force ( sq, Forca Tokësore të Republikës së Shqipërisë) is the land force branch of the Albanian Armed Forces. Mission The Albanian Land Force's main mission is the defense of the independence, sovereignty and territoria ...

. On October 4, 1921, the Albanian Red Cross Society was founded and the organization's first statutes were accepted in 1922. In its first year, it began publishing a magazine, took over the operations of an orphanage, and assisted refugees from the surrounding region. In 1923, the

International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...

officially recognized the Albanian Red Cross, making it the 38th national society.

1920s – 1940s

Throughout the second half of the 1920s and the 1930s, the Albanian Red Cross expanded its coverage across Albania. It opened a nursing school, training nurses to serve the poorest and most vulnerable of the population. With the French Red Cross, it established counseling and milk distribution programs for undernourished children. During this period, the organization's activities were funded by charitable donations from the Albanian people, with significant support coming from the

Albanian diaspora The Albanian diaspora ( sq, Mërgata Shqiptare or Diaspora Shqiptare) are the ethnic Albanians and their descendants living outside of Albania, Kosovo, southeastern Montenegro, western North Macedonia, southeastern Serbia, northwestern Greece an ...

, particularly from the United States. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the main activities of the Albanian Red Cross was at the

Greco-Italian War The Greco-Italian War (Greek language, Greek: Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος, ''Ellinoïtalikós Pólemos''), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian Campaign in Greece, and the War of '40 in Greece, took place between the kingdom ...

front. It established and operated a field hospital at the front, and also opened an office to assist displaced populations in searching for missing family members. In the immediate post-war years, the Albanian Red Cross distributed food, clothing, and cash to those struggling to rebuild. Shelters were set up in major cities for the elderly. As the new

Communist government A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Comint ...

began its socialist reconstruction of the country, the activities of the Albanian Red Cross adapted to fit this new direction. The late 1940s were a period of rapid industrialization, and the Albanian Red Cross began teaching first aid courses at workplaces and construction sites, opening a hospital to treat workers building the Durrës-Elbasan railway. It also opened two nurseries to aid working women, five orphanages, and a nursing home.

1950 – 1990

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Albanian Red Cross slowly began to be influenced by other organizations of the same name in

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...

that had become ''de facto'' agents of government propaganda for national health programs rather than independent humanitarian organizations as the statutes and principles of the Red Cross Movement intended. By 1969, the majority of the Albanian Red Cross activities were carried out by the state, which resulted in the halt of all practical programs. From 1969 to 1990, the Albanian Red Cross did not operate.

1991 – Present

In 1991, the Albanian Red Cross was reborn as a new organization and began again operating. The Albanian government ratified the

Geneva Protocol The Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, usually called the Geneva Protocol, is a treaty prohibiting the use of chemical and biological weapons in ...

s in 1993, and in 1994, the Albanian Red Cross was granted official status. It has since grown into the largest humanitarian organization in Albania and has developed its capacity in multiple areas. In recognition of great humanitarian acts and support to the Red Cross, the Grand Badge of Honor and Merit of the Albanian Red Cross is the highest honor bestowed by the Albanian Red Cross, which is awarded in the form of a breast star medal as well as corresponding miniature medal, and entitles the recipient to use the post-nominal letters GBARC.

Status

The Albanian Red Cross was recognized by the

Albanian Parliament The Parliament of Albania ( sq, Kuvendi i Shqipërisë) or Kuvendi is the unicameral representative body of the citizens of the Republic of Albania; it is Albania's legislature. The Parliament is composed of no less than 140 members elected to a ...

as an independent volunteer humanitarian organization under Law No. 7864 on September 29, 1994. As a member of the

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, an ...

, it is guided by the Fundamental Principles and the

Geneva Conventions upright=1.15, Original document in single pages, 1864 The Geneva Conventions are four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish international legal standards for humanitarian treatment in war. The singular term ''Geneva Conven ...

. It is the sole Red Cross society for

. The Albanian government may grant budgetary funds to the Albanian Red Cross to carry out specific humanitarian activities. It does not pay tax.Parliament of Albania.
LIGJ Nr. 7864, datë 29.9.1994: PËR KRYQIN E KUQ SHQIPTAR

''National Implementation of IHL''
(in Albanian).

References

External links

IFRC: Albanian Red Cross

ICRC in the Western Balkans
{{Authority control Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies 1921 establishments in Albania Organizations established in 1921 Medical and health organizations based in Albania