Mr. Speaker, today is World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day .
Since 1863, the Red Cross has been working to improve conditions for vulnerable people locally and globally.
In Quebec, nearly 10,000 volunteers operate more than 700 interventions annually to help disaster victims.
The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent, working under the Fundamental Principle of neutrality, enters conflict areas to promote and reinforce international humanitarian law and principles.
Over the past decade, 160 of their delegates were killed in the performance of their duties. In 1979, Jean Pictet, former ICRC vice-president, said, “For the Red Cross there is no just war and no unjust war - there are only victims in need of help”.
I want to commend and thank the Red Cross and the Red Crescent for their tireless dedication.