To save lives in conflict

1. Transporting the Wounded and Sick

This activity ensures the safe transport of individuals injured in conflict to medical facilities.

In conflict zones, medical resources are often scarce, making rapid and efficient transport critical. However, with infrastructure frequently destroyed by fighting, transportation often relies on human effort, such as carrying the injured on foot or by stretcher. During transport, the condition of the wounded and sick is continuously monitored, and first aid is administered as needed. In cases involving a large number of casualties, triage—a process in which medical staffs assess and prioritize patients based on the severity and urgency of their injuries—is conducted to ensure that those in critical need receive treatment first.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is engaged in transporting the wounded and sick on the front lines of conflicts in various regions, with many of those carrying out this work being Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers. As it is also important to provide adequate protection for relief workers responsible for transport, the Geneva Conventions—a cornerstone of international humanitarian law (rules of war)—require parties to a conflict to protect medical activities such as the transport of the wounded and sick. To increase the visibility of such activities, the Red Cross or Red Crescent emblem is displayed on aid workers and means of transport. While the Red Cross or Red Crescent symbol is commonly associated with hospitals and pharmacies, its original purpose is to protect medical and humanitarian aid activities, such as transporting the wounded and sick in war zones.