The 20th award of the Florence Nightingale Medal is to take place in May 1965. Under the new Regulations adopted in August 1952 by the XVIIIth International Conference of the Red Cross in Toronto, the International Committee will not issue more than 36 medals, without any obligation, however, to award the whole number.

There has been a recent intensification of military operations in various parts of the Yemen where the civil war continues between the Republican Government of Sanaa and the Imam El Badr, entrenched in the mountains which are difficult of access. This situation accentuates the importance of the task assumed by the International Committee of the Red Cross whose medical personnel sent to the spot is caring for the largest possible number of victims. Conditions of work, in view of the seasonal oppressive heat, are extremely hard, but the ICRC delegates are none the less continuing their mission of which the present events demonstrate the absolute necessity.

In its number of June last, the International Review mentioned the participation of the Republic of Niger in the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, thus bringing to one hundred the number of countries definitely parties to the Conventions.

The ICRC started its activity in Cyprus on January 1, 1964 by sending a delegate to Nicosia. Two weeks later, owing to the spreading of the troubles, the ICRC decided to increase its representation and it now numbers two delegates and a secretary. Their mission is, in co-operation with the local Red Cross, to bring assistance and protection to the victims of the events, by basing themselves in particular on article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, relative to conflicts which are not of an international character.

Contributions made or promised as a result of the appeal launched by the League of Red Cross Societies in agreement with the Laotian Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross, in favour of the victims of the conflict in Laos have now reached a total of the equivalent of 100,000 Swiss francs. A little more then one third of this amount consists of contributions in kind, the remainder being cash donations.

The International Committee felt much grief over the death in Auckland on July 10, 1964 of Mr. Léon Bossard, its delegate in New Zealand for a number of years.

In its issue of October 1962, the International Review of the Red Cross mentioned the studies being undertaken by the ICRC with a view to strengthening the guarantees which international humanitarian law could confer on civil defence personnel. The encouragement which the International Committee has received to pursue this objective, from the International Red Cross Council of Delegates at its 1963 meeting, from National Societies of the Red Cross, and even from governments, has induced it to convene a meeting of Experts for this forthcoming autumn at which will be present, in particular, representatives from governments having declared themselves in favour of this work. The purpose of the meeting is to lay the foundation for a set of draft regulations concerning an internationally recognized status for civil defence. It is intended to submit this draft to the next International Red Cross Conference.