Red Cross Records Surge in Number of Missing Persons

(MENAFN) The tally of individuals officially listed as missing by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has increased by nearly 70% over the past half-decade, according to a statement released by the organization on Friday.

“From Sudan to Ukraine, from Syria to Colombia, the trend is clear: the surging number of missing persons provides a stark reminder that conflict parties and those who support them are failing to protect people during war,” said Pierre Krahenbuhl, director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Data shared by the Family Links Network—a project coordinated by the ICRC in cooperation with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world—revealed that the count of missing persons escalated from 169,500 in 2019 to nearly 284,400 in 2024.

The ICRC emphasized that these statistics only include cases formally reported by relatives, suggesting the actual total of those missing could be significantly higher.

In 2024 alone, over 16,000 individuals were successfully located, and more than 7,000 were reunited with their loved ones.

Despite these efforts, the ICRC stated that “the tragedy of the missing is not inevitable.”

Krahenbuhl further explained that enhanced efforts to prevent family separations, safeguard detainees, and responsibly handle the deceased could prevent innumerable families from enduring “a lifetime of anguish.”

The ICRC underscored that international humanitarian law mandates all parties in armed conflict to take steps to avoid breaking up families, disclose the whereabouts of detainees, and ensure that information about the deceased is made available.

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