KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 (Bernama) – To honour the eight members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) who were killed while performing humanitarian duties in Rafah on March 23, the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) held a solidarity and remembrance ceremony at its headquarters today.
Its Secretary-General, Datuk Danial Iskandar Abdul Rahman, said MRCS National Chairman Tunku Temenggong Kedah, Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, led the ceremony.
“The PRCS team was on duty in a marked ambulance and wearing internationally recognised emblems that signify neutrality and protection under International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Their loss underscores the vital importance of upholding and respecting these legal protections in all conflict situations," he said in a statement today.
He added that the solidarity event also served as a reminder of the growing dangers humanitarian workers face worldwide.
He said last year, 32 workers from the Red Cross and Red Crescent were killed while on duty. This includes members from the Palestinian Red Crescent, as well as from the Red Cross organisations in Sudan, Iran, Algeria, Syria, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"Even more concerning, over 350 humanitarian workers were killed globally in 2024, with 95 per cent of them being local staff. This marks the deadliest year in history for humanitarian workers, with 377 deaths reported across 20 countries,” he said.
He said 2025 has also seen ongoing conflicts, resulting in the deaths of eight PRCS members, one member of the Sudan Red Crescent and another from the Red Cross of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On Monday, AFP reported that Gaza's civil defence agency accused Israeli forces of carrying out "extrajudicial executions" in the killing of 15 rescue workers last month while rejecting the results of Israel's internal military investigation.
Eight Red Crescent personnel were among the medics and rescuers killed as they responded to an emergency call near the southern Gaza city of Rafah in the early hours of March 23 and this incident occurred just days after a new Israeli offensive began in the territory controlled by Hamas.
-- BERNAMA
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