The pain these families live with daily is unimaginable, and only deepens as time passes. They remain caught between despair and hope. Under international humanitarian law, families have the right to know the fate and whereabouts of their missing loved ones. The uncertainty these families face is an ongoing personal tragedy, and it is the obligation of all parties to the conflict to provide information on those missing.

Persons detained or taken hostage must be protected, accounted for, and be treated with dignity. The deceased must be treated with dignity, identified, and returned to their families, so they can grieve, honor their memory, and fulfill cultural rites. All persons taken hostage must be released immediately and unconditionally. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) continues engaging with all parties to the conflict trying to obtain any information, and keep families informed.

Day in and day out, families anxiously wait for news, hoping to see their loved one again, to hear their voice and hug them. These families have the right to know what happened to their relatives. Their pain and voices must be heard, and the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones must be clarified. 

We reiterate the obligation of parties to provide any information on those missing and fulfil the families’ right to know. Such information is not a bargaining chip. The anguish and uncertainty must end, and the fate and whereabouts of all those who have gone missing must be clarified. 

Families belong together.