The health ministry donated €500 on Friday to the Red Cross, symbolically opening this year’s fundraiser in the framework of World Red Cross Day celebrated on May 8.

Speaking at an event to mark the day, Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides said the donation was “a small but meaningful gesture of support, which reflects our commitment to support organisations that serve the people and the society”.

Charalambides called on the public to actively support the campaign.

May 8, he said, was “not just an anniversary, but a reminder of the power of supporting one another”.

“It is the day we honour the vision of Henry Dunant, the main who laid the foundations of a global humanitarian movement that continues to this day to save lives and alleviate human suffering,” the minister said.

In Cyprus, he added, the Red Cross has “long been a pillar of service and social cohesion”, offering multidimensional services.

A blood donation was also organised to mark World Red Cross Day.