Hundreds of thousands of people around the world are missing today.
By the end of 2023, more than 239,700 missing persons were registered by the Family Links Network of the RCRC Movement around the world. We know this figure only captures a small percentage and does not convey the true extent of the issue. The issue of missing persons, including those forcibly disappeared, remains one of the most damaging and long-lasting humanitarian consequences of armed conflicts, other situations of violence, disasters, or migration: behind every missing person, there are countless more suffering from the anguish and uncertainty of not knowing the fate and whereabouts.
The International Day of the Disappeared, observed on August 30th, gives us the opportunity to recognize the number of people who have gone missing through conflict, migration and natural disasters, and to show solidarity towards all who have been affected. These are some of their stories.
Global News Surrounding IDOD 2024
Africa: Cases of missing persons registered with ICRC rise 75 per cent in five years
Philippines: Families of missing people from 2017 Marawi conflict honour loved ones, urge government to provide support and answers
Azerbaijan: Dozens of families received answers they were waiting for
Ukraine: The ongoing struggle and resilience of families who lost loved ones in the Russia-Ukraine Armed Conflict
Iraq: Providing access to legal support for families of missing persons.
Sri Lanka: Missing persons must be searched for, their families must receive answers
Lebanon: Delve into poignant stories of families torn apart by conflict and the role of the ICRC in reconnecting loved ones through Red Cross Messages.
Latin America: The Challenge of Coordinated Action
Iraq: Women of families of missing never stop searching, never stop living
Kosovo: The wound that never heals
Israel and the Occupied Territories: International Day of the Disappeared
South Sudan: When Thomas' elder brother went #missing in 2013 following the armed conflict that broke out in #SouthSudan, his life has never been the same again.
Jordan: International Day of the Disappeared: Supporting Syrian Families of Missing Persons