| Uganda Red Cross Society | |
| Type: | Non-governmental organization |
| Founded Date: | 1964 |
| Location: | Kampala, Uganda |
| Area Served: | Uganda |
| Focus: | Humanitarian |
| Method: | Aid |
Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) is a humanitarian aid and community services charity in Uganda. It is a national member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement who draws mandates from the Geneva Conventions.[1] [2]
The URCS provides a range of services and programmes including emergency management, survivor and victim assistance, humanitarian coordination, blood donation, and community service, among others.
The National Society was founded in 1962 and previously it was part of the British Red Cross. It has its headquarters in Kampala.[3] [4]
The Uganda Red Cross is noted as the leading humanitarian organization in Uganda.[5]
It started as a branch of the British Red Cross in 1941.In 1964 under an act of Parliament, the Uganda Red Cross Constitution was adopted bringing into existence the Uganda Red Cross Society.[6] A year later in 1965, the Society was admitted as a member of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Uganda Red Cross Society has continued to grow over the years and it now has 51 branches and 30 sub-branches spanning the whole of Uganda.[7] The National Society also works with a number of partners in the execution of its mission. These include the Government of Uganda, United Nations agencies, international funding agencies, companies and practicing sister Red Cross National Societies.[8]
The Uganda Red Cross Society through the Ministry of Health has been involved in a number of health relief efforts including training of village health teams, tracing contact persons, supporting safe and dignified burials for cases of viral diseases like Ebola.It is noted that the National Society played an auxiliary role in ensuring that Uganda is Ebola free
The National Society has also helped in ensuring sustainable use of energy resources for some refugee groups living in settlements like Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement by encouraging the use of alternative energy technologies for cooking and lighting, among others, as a way of reducing the cost of living in these settlements.[9]