Short answers, pulled from the story.
An aid agency, also known as a development charity, is an organization dedicated to distributing aid. Aid agencies exist within governments, between governments as multilateral donors, and as private voluntary organizations or non-governmental organisations.
Aid is subdivided into humanitarian aid, which covers emergency relief efforts such as responses to natural disasters, and development aid, which aims to help countries achieve long-term sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction. Some aid agencies carry out both kinds, while others specialise in one.
The International Committee of the Red Cross is unique in being mandated by international treaty to uphold the Geneva Conventions. It is also the world's second-oldest humanitarian organisation.
The Sovereign Order of Malta was established in 1099 as the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. It has an unbroken tradition of over 900 years of hospitaller activities and has been headquartered at Palazzo Malta in Rome since 1834.
Yes. The Sovereign Order of Malta was established in 1099 and has been based at Palazzo Malta in Rome since 1834, decades before the Red Cross was founded. The Red Cross is described as the world's second-oldest humanitarian organisation, placing it behind the Order of Malta.
The Sovereign Order of Malta was recognized under international law at the Congress of Verona in 1822.