▁the ▁United ▁States ▁of ▁Venezuela ), ▁Asia ▁( the ▁Republic ▁of ▁China , ▁the ▁Empire ▁of ▁Japan ▁and ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁S iam ), ▁and ▁Africa ▁( Union ▁of ▁South ▁Africa ). ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁the ▁IC RC ▁found ▁itself ▁confront ed ▁with ▁enorm ous ▁challeng es ▁that ▁it ▁could ▁handle ▁only ▁by ▁working ▁closely ▁with ▁the ▁national ▁Red ▁Cross ▁soci eties . ▁Red ▁Cross ▁n urs es ▁from ▁around ▁the ▁world , ▁including ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Japan , ▁came ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁medical ▁services ▁of ▁the ▁armed ▁forces ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁countries ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁war . ▁On ▁ 1 5 ▁August ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁immediately ▁after ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁IC RC ▁set ▁up ▁its ▁International ▁Pr ison ers - of - W ar ▁( P OW ) ▁Agency , ▁which ▁had ▁about ▁ 1 , 2 0 0 ▁mostly ▁volunte er ▁staff ▁members ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 4 . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁Agency ▁had ▁transferred ▁about ▁ 2 0 ▁million ▁letters ▁and ▁messages , ▁ 1 . 9 ▁million ▁parc els , ▁and ▁about ▁ 1 8 ▁million ▁Swiss ▁fran cs ▁in ▁mon et ary ▁don ations ▁to ▁P OW s ▁of ▁all ▁affected ▁countries . ▁Furthermore , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁inter vention ▁of ▁the ▁Agency , ▁about ▁ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁prisoners ▁were ▁ex changed ▁between ▁the ▁war