International Humanitarian Law (IHL)

The International Humanitarian Law program at the American Red Cross aims to educate the American public about international humanitarian law. The American Red Cross has a mandate to strengthen the rule of law and alleviate the suffering of victims of armed conflict and other humanitarian crises.

What is IHL? International humanitarian law — also known as the law of armed conflict or law of war — is the body of law which seeks to limit the effects of armed conflict by codifying protections for individuals who are not, or are no longer, taking part in fighting, and restrictions on the means (particularly weapons) and methods of warfare (military tactics).

Contact. To learn more about IHL programs in the Kentucky Region, call (502) 624-2163.

Restoring Family Links (RFL)

The American Red Cross, in collaboration with the global Red Cross Movement, helps reconnect families that have been separated internationally by armed conflicts, disasters, migration, and other humanitarian crises. In situations such as these, normal means of communication break down, families are split up and people go missing.

How we can help. The American Red Cross Kentucky Region can:

• Locate family members separated internationally by armed conflict and other humanitarian situations
• Clarify or document the fate of relatives missing due to armed conflict (including Holocaust and WWII Tracing and Documentation services)
• Forward family messages and other information (Red Cross messages) between separated members of a family when normal modes of communication are nonexistent or unreliable
• Assist family members who have lost communication due to a major international disaster

There is no charge for any of these services!

Contact. To use any of the above services, or for additional information about the program, call (502) 561-3707 or email carrie.smith@redcross.org. You can also initiate an inquiry through the International Reconnecting Families Inquiry Form.

Measles & Rubella Initiative

The American Red Cross is a founding partner of the Measles & Rubella Initiative, one of the world’s most successful partnerships in global health.

The partners in the initiative provide technical and financial support to governments and communities around the world to conduct mass vaccination campaigns, improve immunization services, and establish effective disease surveillance. Campaigns routinely also include insecticide-treated bed nets for malaria prevention, deworming medicine, polio vaccines, and vitamin A.

For approximately $1, a child can be vaccinated against measles and rubella, helping to avert an additional 13.4 million deaths this decade in the world’s poorest countries. With help from your friends, classmates or coworkers, you can vaccinate an entire village.

How you can help

More than 90 percent of our total work force is composed of volunteers. Your time and talent can make a real difference in people’s lives. If you’d like to volunteer with any of the International Services programs above, join our team today.