INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was founded in 1863 and remains one of the world's most respected and recognisable humanitarian bodies — the custodian of the Geneva Conventions and the driving force behind international humanitarian law (IHL). Its South Africa regional delegation in Pretoria covers nine countries across Southern Africa and serves a mandate that is quite different from most organisations on this website.

The ICRC does not run domestic shelters, does not provide counselling for GBV survivors, and does not operate a crisis hotline for people experiencing domestic violence. Its work is focused on the consequences of armed conflict, detention, displacement, and mass violence — and on ensuring that the rules of war are known, respected, and enforced.

That said, there are three specific ways in which the ICRC's South African presence is directly relevant to survivors listed on this website:

What They Offer — Relevant to Survivors on This Site

Restoring Family Links (RFL) — Family Tracing for Refugees and Migrants The ICRC's Restoring Family Links programme is one of the most important services available to refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants in South Africa who have been separated from family members — whether through conflict, displacement, or other forms of mass violence. The programme provides: - Tracing of missing family members across international borders - Communication support for separated families (messages, phone calls, video connections) - Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) for vulnerable people who need to travel to their country of refuge or reunify with family - Connection with Red Cross Restoring Family Links networks globally

In 2022, the ICRC's Southern Africa delegation facilitated over 29,000 internet connections, 34,690 phone calls for separated people, and issued 70 Emergency Travel Documents.

RedSafe — Digital Humanitarian Platform RedSafe is the ICRC's digital platform providing access to humanitarian services and information. For migrants and refugees in South Africa, it can be a portal to ICRC resources and referrals.

IHL Advocacy and Accountability The ICRC engages continuously with SADC governments, the African Union, the diplomatic corps, and South African authorities on their obligations under international humanitarian law — including protections for women in conflict contexts, accountability for sexual violence as a weapon of war, and the rights of detained and displaced persons.

DNA Identification — The Missing and the Dead In partnership with DNAforAfrica, the ICRC runs programmes training African scientists in forensic DNA identification — building regional capacity to identify the missing and the dead in conflict and disaster contexts.

South African Red Cross Society Support The ICRC supports the South African Red Cross Society in disaster preparedness and emergency response — meaning that in the event of a disaster or mass crisis in South Africa, the Red Cross network (supported by ICRC) is part of the national humanitarian response.

ICRC South Africa: 202 East Avenue, Pretoria. Hours: 8am–5pm. Twitter: @ICRC_SAfrica. For domestic GBV in South Africa, please use the GBV Command Centre: 0800 428 428 (toll-free, 24/7). For family tracing: visit icrc.org/en/find-help.