Red Crystal

International conference paves the way for red crystal (ICRC.org, June 22, 2006 Press Release)

"The 29th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent has amended the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to incorporate the additional emblem of the red crystal, which now has the same status as the red cross and red crescent."

Emblems of the Red Cross (Wikipedia.org)

The above picture is from Wikipedia.

"On 22 June 2006 the ICRC announced the recognition of the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the Israeli National Society and Magen David Adom (MDA), and also announced the formal adoption in the ICRC statutes of the Red Crystal as third official symbol.

"The new emblem was designed to be easily recognizable and, to make it more universally acceptable throughout different cultures, devoid of religious connotation (contrasting the Red Cross and Red Crescent, which are often associated with Christianity and Islam, respectively). No country or National Society will be obliged to change their emblems, none will be obliged to use the new one, but all will be required to respect it in the same manner."

Shelter Safety Concerns & Attitudes

Red Cross shelter safest place to be (Sun-Sentinel, July 29, 2006)

"On the heels of two devastating hurricane seasons, I was troubled to see the Harvard University survey stating that one in four people would ignore evacuation orders. According to the study, more than one in three of those who said they would stay behind believed evacuation would be dangerous. During a hurricane, nothing is more dangerous than remaining in a flood-prone area or a susceptible structure.

"Additionally, 35 percent of respondents expressed worry about staying in a shelter because of concerns over sanitation and availability of food and water. Images of the Superdome in New Orleans undoubtedly contributed to these feelings. However, the Superdome was not an American Red Cross-operated shelter....

"Shelters operated by the American Red Cross are held to the highest safety and sanitation standards.... All locations have sanitary and operational bathrooms. The Red Cross network of warehouses and staging areas ensures that food and water supply are plentiful and readily available to shelter residents. In short, if you live in an evacuation zone, there is no safer place to be than a shelter."

Evacuations in Lebanon

On a mission of mercy with Lebanon Red Cross (MSNBC.com, July 26, 2006)

"This incident [ambulance bombing], though, has caused anxiety and anger among the Lebanese Red Cross volunteers, who number about 2,400. They say they were under the impression that they would be safe and point to the Geneva Convention, which says that the Red Cross symbol should prevent them from being targeted. However, they say, not one volunteer has called in to withdraw their services."

Red Cross Ambulances Targeted in Lebanon

Ambulances fired on by Israel, says Red Cross (Sydney Morning Herald, July 25, 2006)

"The Red Cross in Tyre said that five of its volunteers and three patients were wounded when Israeli aircraft attacked two ambulances on Sunday night."