In 2024, the Family Links Network, which brings together the ICRC and 191 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, worked with affected families to locate more than 16,000 people and reunite more than 7,000 people with their families. Every minute, …
Over the past 14 years, more than 37,000 individuals have been registered as missing by the ICRC in Syria. This number represents only a fraction of the true toll, with countless families enduring the anguish of uncertainty, often for years, with no news …
States and parties to armed conflicts bear the primary responsibility to prevent disappearances, protect civilians and people deprived of liberty, clarify the fate of missing people and provide long-term support to their families. How states respond to …
In North Kivu, there are already huge numbers of people in need, and so caring for victims of sexual violence is challenging, particularly given the ongoing instability caused by armed conflict and the budget cuts faced by many humanitarian organizations …
Ambiguous loss, which is sometimes also referred to as frozen grief, describes the debilitating impact of losing a family member and not knowing their fate and whereabouts. Unlike death, this loss does not allow opportunities for closure and resolution, …
But the hardest moments came during mass casualty incidents. I will never forget what happened in Maiduguri, Nigeria, when around ninety injured were brought to our hospital after an explosion. Buses and trucks arrived filled with wounded men, women, and …
I have been fortunate to carry out house visits to deliver news to some families here. One that struck me was a family who were unaware of the whereabouts of their loved one for two years. We had driven for over two hours to Khayan township in Yangon …
In the first half of 2025, the humanitarian landscape was shaped by multiple crises affecting millions worldwide. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) focused on addressing the consequences of armed conflicts and other situations of violence …
In 2024, the ICRC and its Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners facilitated 755 family reunifications on the continent and provided definitive news of the whereabouts of loved ones to 5,083 families. Despite these positive results, the caseload of …
Nafisa (not her real name), a 58-year-old woman from neighboring Sudan shares Nyakol’s anguish, having lost contact with her grandson, seven-year-old Ahmed (not his real name), as the family fled the conflict in Sudan in December 2023. Nafisa’s escape to …
For a health facility like NMC to be damaged in a strike on Monday morning, and for medical personnel, journalists, patients, and first responders to be killed and injured as a result of this, is unacceptable. Such strikes cause death and destruction and …
For over 30 years, the ICRC has been part of the country’s humanitarian landscape, addressing the evolving needs of people affected by conflict while prioritizing human dignity and long-term resilience. Guided by its commitment to humanitarian principles …
Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Two weeks ago, on the 76th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, the ICRC urged states to recommit to an effective protective framework: a framework that saves lives and preserves humanity in armed …
Around 300 participants, including families of missing people from across Mindanao, local, provincial and regional officials, representatives from the Marawi Compensation Board and the Philippine National Police-Forensic Group, and religious groups graced …
Present in Sudan since 1978, the ICRC supports people affected by conflict across the country, and promotes international humanitarian law, working independently or with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS). "In the first 6 months of the year, …
Key statistics and services 130,978 consultations, marking a 47 % increase month‑on‑month 7,373 surgical procedures performed - up 93 %, including general surgery (63 %), debridement (26 %), and orthopaedics (6 %) 566 deliveries handled (+35 %) 3,299 …
"The civilian population in Gaza is living in abhorrent conditions. Further displacement and an intensification in hostilities risk worsening an already catastrophic situation. With more than 80 percent of Gaza already impacted by evacuation orders, …
Support to life-saving and other healthcare services Since the onset of the crisis, hospitals in Sweida, Shahba and Dara’a have been under severe strain due to a large influx of casualties and disruptions in essential services such as medical supplies, …
President Spoljaric travelled to the epicentre of the 2017 Marawi conflict, where she heard from people still grappling with the lasting consequences of the fighting. She also visited a transitory shelter and the Maqbara cemetery, where unidentified human …
Yann Fridez ICRC’s Head of Delegation in Jordan, emphasized that “families of the missing grapple with a myriad of challenges beyond the ambiguity surrounding their loved ones' fate. Economic hardships, health concerns, psychological distress, and …
