Cyprus Red Cross

The Cyprus Red Cross Society is the Red Cross society in Cyprus. The Headquarters of the Society is located in Nicosia.

It originated with the establishment of a branch of the British Red Cross in 1952 which evolved into the Cyprus Red Cross after the independence of the Republic of Cyprus from the United Kingdom in 1960. Cyprus Red Cross is a properly constituted National Society, recognised as an auxiliary to the public authorities in the humanitarian field by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, where the four Geneva Conventions are in force. Cyprus Red Cross is an autonomous body directed by its Central Committee, operating under the Cyprus Red Cross Law of 1967 and its own statutes and in conformity with the fundamental principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The Society, whilst not recognised by the ICRC at the international level, co-operates with other components in the spirit of the statutes of the movement and identifies itself through the use of the Red Cross Emblem in conformity with the Geneva Conventions.

Cyprus Red Cross carries out a wide spectrum of activities, primarily based on volunteers from all segments of society, in response to vulnerabilities among people in Cyprus and abroad, ranging from alleviation of the hardships of those internally displaced as a result of the 1974 invasion, via day-to-day response to local disasters and social hardship, to public information about new and re-emerging threats to health.

Organisation

Cyprus Red Cross has six Branches:

• Nicosia
• Larnaca
• Paphos
• Kyrenia
• Famagusta
• Limassol

In addition, the Society has a Youth Section.

NORTH CYPRUS RED CRESCENT SOCIETY

Foundation North Cyprus Red Crescent Society which was formed by the core group of people who has worked voluntarily since 1963. Its headquarter in Lefkoşa, and it has 7 branches in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Organisation North Cyprus Turkish Red Crescent Society is the only organisation titled Red Crescent and operational in the territory of TRNC. North Cyprus Turkish Red Crescent Society has all representative and competent organs composed of the elected members. These organs are described in the 3rd Section of it Statute. The elections are held on a regular basis as prescribed in its statute 1-Lefkoşa,

2-Girne,

3-Magusa,

4-Esentepe,

5-Güzelyurt,

6-Dipkarpaz,

7-İskele.

Legal Base Turkish Federated State of Cyprus recognized Northern Cyprus Turkish Red Crescent on November 12, 1974 with the Decision of Council of Ministers No. 5251. The first by law of Northern Cyprus Turkish Red Crescent was adopted in 1974, and revised in 2005 and 2008. Turkish Cypriot Provisional Administration established on December 28, 1967 included arrangements, which protected the names and emblems of Red Crescent and Red Cross Societies, in Military Crime and Procedural Law16 on April 13, 1973. Turkish Federated State of Cyprus, which was established later, brought in the same arrangements with the Law on Military Crimes and Sentences 17 adopted on April 19, 1983.

Mission As in the in the mission description, North Cyprus Turkish Red Crescent Society has voluntarily worked to build up its capacity to serve the victims of natural and man-made disasters. This has been done through different programmes at organisational and communal levels. It has worked with different stakeholders including official authorities as the necessity of its auxiliary role.