Voices from the front line: Mental health and psychosocial experiences of Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers and staff working in armed conflict contexts

More than 17 million people volunteer and work in the Red Cross Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement.1 With more than 130 active armed conflicts in at least fifty countries, it can be estimated that at least 4 million RCRC volunteers and staff live and work in armed conflict settings;2 most volunteers and staff work in their own countries, delivering essential humanitarian assistance to their communities. In 2025, twenty-seven RCRC volunteers and staff lost their lives in the line of duty, with additional fatalities occurring off-duty.3 Extreme working conditions and constant exposure to suffering often cause long-term psychological consequences, and the mental health and psychosocial impacts occur in a wider context that can lead staff and volunteers to question their fundamental moral values.