War in Ukraine: ICRC investigates the fate of 23 thousand missing people

Captured, killed, separated… The International Committee of the Red Cross’s Central Investigation Agency (CIA) announced Monday that it is investigating the disappearance of 23,000 people from both sides of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“Staying without news from a loved one is real torture, constant melancholy. Tens of thousands of families are faced with this tragic reality. They have the right to know what happened to their loved ones and, if possible, exchange news with them,” emphasized Dusan Vuyasanin, head of the AKR office.

And the observation is dire: “Over the past two years, the ICRC has received more than 115,000 tracing requests from families in Ukraine and Russia by telephone, through its online platforms, by mail or during face-to-face interviews,” the institute said.

8,000 families received information

“As of 31 January 2024, the ICRC, with the assistance of several national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies – in Ukraine, Russia and other countries – had helped 8,000 families obtain information about the fate of their loved ones or where they were. the press release adds, citing testimonies from families who eventually received news of their loved ones.

However, the task is still gigantic with the search for 23 thousand people. The ACR office for the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is the first ICRC office created specifically to resolve an international conflict in more than 30 years. This mission is the most important since World War II. In accordance with the Geneva Conventions, each of the two countries has established national information offices (BNRs) responsible for the collection, centralization and transmission of information relating to protected persons. (e.g. prisoners of war and civilian internees) which are in their hands, the ICRC explained.

Acting as a neutral intermediary between Russia and Ukraine, the ACR office collects, centralizes and records this information, and then transfers it to the appropriate party, the department added. Parties to an international conflict “have an obligation to treat people under their control humanely and to provide dignified care for those killed,” the ICRC also stressed.