Today marks the International Day of the Disappeared to commemorate hundreds of thousands of people who went missing around the world as a result of armed conflicts, violence, migration and natural disasters, and express solidarity and support to their families. This represents a global humanitarian tragedy on a large scale, Representative Office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Azerbaijan told APA.
In the region, over 25,000 people continue to live in the hope of receiving news about over 4,500 loved ones who had gone missing in the 90s, as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Each passing day without an answer is yet another day of anxiety and ambiguity for them as they continue to live in the hope of receiving news about their family members.
For more than 20 years, the ICRC has been supporting relevant authorities in the region to bring closure for those who live in a constant void made of uncertainty, facing economic, administrative and legal hurdles. The global pandemic – COVID-19 has added to the suffering of families of missing as it has driven home how important family connections are, especially in times of crisis and uncertainty. The only thing that can heal them is the answer to their questions.
The ICRC works closely with relevant institutions to support their efforts in clarifying the fate and whereabout of those who went missing. The ICRC Delegation in Baku completed the collection of detailed information on 3,800 missing persons in cooperation with the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons and continues to support the State Commission by sharing its longstanding experience.
The below video produced by the ICRC in support to the families of missing, depicts the complex feelings of those whose loved ones went missing and shows how they live in a constant ambiguity trying to cope with it.
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