Russian Red Cross Society– Krasnodar City Committee

The Russian Red Cross has been working in the Kuban region since 1877, providing humanitarian aid and social support to the poor of southern Russia.

In 1992, five district-level Red Cross offices in the city of Krasnodar merged to form the Krasnodar City Committee to coordinate city-wide distribution of material aid. In addition to traditionally needy segments of the Russian population such as the elderly and disabled, the committee supports the rising number of refugees and internally displaced persons in southern Russia. It also addresses new sectors of poor spawned from radical economic and political transition, including single woman, families with many children, oprhans, and a growing homeless population. The committee collects and donates old clothing, medicine and medical equipment, food, books, and toys to those in need. In 1995, it distributed food, clothes, and shoes to victims of the Chechen War, assisting nearly 1,000 refugees of that conflict. In 1996, the society was able to provide humanitarian assistance to 470 needy families of the region with support from the International Red Cross. Its Health program is a joint initiative with a local soy-production business, Assoya, in which free soy products are distributed to malnourished children and families.

The committee also works with local youth organizations to distribute educational information to schools on social issues such as AIDS, drug use, and sexual relations. It also fosters charitable giving within the local business community, analyzes donor trends in the region, and lobbies the regional administration for legislation to benefit charitable donors.

The Russian Red Cross has been in existence since 1863, and today has branches in 89 regions of the country. It is a member of the International Red Cross.

Last updated:    February 1999

A print version of much of the information contained in this NIS Third Sector Organizations section can be found in the The Post-Soviet Handbook (Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1999).

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