The Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS; ps, د افغاني سرې میاشتې ټولنې; fa, جمعیت هلال احمر افغانی) is the
Afghan
Afghan may refer to:
*Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia
*Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity
**Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pash ...
affiliate of the
. The Society has existed for over 70 years although with limited structure due to the prevailing conditions which have affected the country at large for over 20 years. The current president is
Matiul Haq Khalis and deputy president is
Nooruddin Turabi
Mullah Nooruddin Turabi (ملا نورالدین ترابي; born 1959) is an Afghan Taliban senior leader and current Deputy President of the Afghan Red Crescent Society. Turabi served as Minister of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of ju ...
.
History
The ARCS was founded in April 1934. It traces its origins to the Naderia Orphanage, with the purpose of helping orphans and those in need. In October 1951, the society adopted its constitution, which articulated democratic provisions for membership, elections at central, provincial and local branches, and managing board.
In 1964 ARCS took over Marastoon (مرستون) or Afghan Welfare organizations.
[Organizational Overview - ARCS (PDF)]
(PDF). . The
is one of the two main partners of the ARCS, establishing its delegation in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
in 1991, with only temporary evacuations during the most recent conflict.
Although limited in terms of organizational capacity in recent years, the organization and activities of the ARCS covers territory throughout the country, with active branches in 31 of 32 provinces.
Organization and activities
The ARCS receives a significant portion of its support from the National Societies of several developed nations, including those from the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
, and
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
, with support channeled through the International Federation. The ARCS also maintains bilateral relations with the National Societies of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
,
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
,
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...
, and the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (Middle East, The Middle East). It is ...
.
The ARCS has been led by Ms.
Husn Banu Ghazanfar since 2019.
Based on its wide-ranging humanitarian work throughout Afghanistan, the ARCS claims the ability to work with all ethnic groups through its services. The primary activities of the organization have been focused primarily on disaster response, health care, and youth. Ms. Fatima Gailani claimed, in a 2007 interview with the International Review of the Red Cross, that the ARCS has nearly 37,000 volunteers. In 2013, the society employed 1,717 staff members and retained 23,440 volunteers. In that same year, the society assisted more than 700,000 Afghanis through disaster preparedness programs, more than 430,000 through long-term development programs and more than 30,000 in acute disaster response activities.
Presidents
*
Syed Sifatullah Qureshi (September 2021 − 4 October 2021)
*
Matiul Haq Khalis (4 October 2021 − Present)
References
External links
ARCS - Home (English)IFRC - National Societies - Afghan Red Crescent SocietyOfficial Site - Afghan Red Cross Society
{{Authority control
Organizations established in 1934
Medical and health organisations based in Afghanistan
Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies
1934 establishments in Afghanistan