Ukraine-Russia war: International Committee of the Red Cross investigates the fate of at least 23,000 missing people
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) seeks to “shedding light on the fate of 23,000 people who have disappeared” since the start of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, announces the humanitarian institution in a press release published Monday February 19, AFP reports.
“Opened in March 2022, the office of the ICRC central tracing agency for the international armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine” is dedicated to searching for missing people in each camp, “whether they were captured, killed or separated from their loved ones” following the fighting, writes the ICRC.
“The figure of 23,000 represents the number of people – children or adults – for whom members of their families have opened a requesttells franceinfo Achille Desprès, spokesperson for the ICRC in Ukraine. So this is probably just the tip of the iceberg.” Over the past two years, the institution has received more than 115,000 tracing requests from families in Ukraine and Russia, the ICRC said.
And on January 31, 2024, the ICRC – with the help of several National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies – had helped 8,000 families from Ukraine and Russia “to obtain information on the fate or whereabouts of their loved ones”according to the press release.
