Red Cross Society of China wins top humanitarian award

By Wang Xiaoyu | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2022-06-23 10:49

The Henry Davison Award — the most distinguished humanitarian award — is granted to the Red Cross Society of China on June 19, 2022. [Photo/Red Cross Society of China]

The conferring of the Henry Davison Award — the most distinguished humanitarian award — to the Red Cross Society of China symbolizes the recognition of the society's contribution to domestic and global development and progress in recent years, Chen Zhu, president of the society, said recently.

The award, announced on Sunday, particularly recognizes the society's extraordinary efforts devoted to helping China in battling the initial wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province, and implementing regular novel coronavirus control measures, he said.

"The society has also provided comprehensive anti-virus equipment and other materials to members of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and arranged domestic experts to other countries, including Iran, Iraq and Italy, to help them fight against the virus," he said during a recent interview.

So far, the society has provided anti-epidemic materials to more than 40 countries and launched a number of online seminars to share experiences in stemming out infections.

It has also supplied 1.6 million COVID-19 vaccines to 12 countries and will provide five million doses more to 15 countries and regions in the near future, according to Chen.

The award was established by the IFRC in 2003 and named after its founder, Henry Davison. It is presented biannually in recognition of "outstanding service in improving the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity."

This year's awardees also included the Ethiopian Red Cross Society, the Red Crescent Society of Iran and an outstanding volunteer recommended by the Somali Red Crescent Society.

Humanitarian aid supplies sent by the Red Cross Society of China to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society are loaded in Warsaw, Poland, March 15, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

Thanks to the work of the Red Cross Society of China, more than 300 children suffering congenital heart disease in Afghanistan and Mongolia were able to receive treatment and surgeries in China from 2017 to 2019.

In the past year, the society has also provided aid to people in Afghanistan and Ukraine.

"In recent years, the Red Cross Society of China has played an important role in the IFRC's strategic planning and regional development," said Chen.

He added that the society plans to expand the size of its volunteers and actively participate in major challenges ranging from climate change to pollution in the future.

In the meantime, it will continue to step up caring for vulnerable groups, he said.

Xinhua contributed to this story.