Damascus, SANA– On the eve of the International Day of the Disappeared (30 August), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) renewed its call for stronger collective action to address the plight of tens of thousands of people still missing in Syria.
According to the ICRC, more than 37,000 individuals have been registered as missing over the past 14 years, a figure that represents only a fraction of the real toll. “The disappearance of a loved one is not just a personal tragedy; it is one of the most profound and lasting wounds of Syria’s conflict,” said Stephan Sakalian, head of the ICRC delegation in Syria.
Families continue to endure years of anguish without answers. One Syrian mother told the ICRC: “When they said the prisoners had been released, I hoped to find them. My nephews still ask about my sons. My grandson says, ‘I wish I could see my uncles and be like them.’ I still have hope they will return one day.”
ICRC’s Role and Initiatives
Supporting families of the missing with psychosocial and practical assistance.
Providing technical expertise, training, and equipment to the Forensic Identification Centre in Damascus.
Preserving gravesites, improving record-keeping, and strengthening identification efforts.
Backing the Syrian National Commission for the Missing to develop a coordinated and family-centered response.
In addition to working with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) on cases linked to migration and natural disasters.
The ICRC emphasized that the search for the missing cannot be shouldered by one institution alone. It requires the sustained collaboration of families, authorities, civil society, international organizations, and donors.
“The families’ right to know is a fundamental humanitarian principle,” Sakalian stressed, reaffirming the ICRC’s commitment to stand by the families and help them find the answers they deserve.
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