Erkinoy Tumarova has tears in her eyes when she talks about the violence in her neighbourhood. A gang of armed men in masks spreading bullets and setting houses on fire killed her 5 year old niece and her elderly mother. Erkinoy and her neighbours are among thousands of innocent victims of ethnic clashes in Osh, in the South of Kyrgyzstan. The UN believes that the number of people who have been affected in some form – from loss of relatives and houses to temporary displacements – is around 300,000. Read the full entry
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These words by Henry Dunant (1828-1910) ring true to everyone who lived through or witnessed a disaster. He is the founder of a neutral and impartial organisation that protects the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence –known to us today as the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. He is also the recipient of the first-ever Nobel peace prize for what was described as the “supreme humanitarian achievement of the 19th century”. Henry Dunant’s birthday, May 8th, is now used to celebrate the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day.