In Iraq, many people have gone missing in different rounds of conflicts, with countless still remaining unaccounted for. The ICRC has documented 618 cases of missing persons from January – June 2024, while the fate and whereabouts of 208 persons have been clarified. Each missing person represents a family in anguish, struggling with the pain of uncertainty and the profound impact on their daily lives and wider communities. The need for a coordinated effort to locate, recover, identify, and return the human remains of the missing is an urgent issue as well. The ICRC calls on all authorities to enhance mechanisms and resources for this task, ensure respect for the deceased and provide families with the information and support they need for a resolution to their uncertainty.
“The disappearance of a loved one leaves a deep void that time cannot fill,” said Ikhtiyar Aslanov, head of the ICRC delegation in Iraq. “The pain is passed down from generation to generation, as families continue their search for answers. Every missing person matters, and their families have the right to know what happened to them. The search for answers is not just a legal obligation under international humanitarian law- it is a moral imperative. It is essential that all parties, from local communities to state authorities, come together to address this issue with the urgency and compassion”.
“I have a 15-year-old son. Every time he sees a young boy walking with his father, he says, ‘Look at them, Mom. I was deprived of my father. Even if he returns and can’t provide for us, I just want to be able to say the word “father” again,'” shares Haifaa, still awaits the news of her husband who went missing in 2017.
Shireen, who lost her 30-year-old son in 2014, she describes him as a “little father” to his siblings, with a kind heart and joyful spirit. “Every time I start to think he’s gone for good, he appears in my dreams,” she shared. She and her daughter grow pink flowers as a symbol of hope and positivity, believing that her beloved son is still alive.
The ICRC is committed to support the Iraqi authorities in their efforts to address the issues of missing persons. Through technical support, legal advice and the promotion of international humanitarian law, the ICRC continues to advocate for an all-encompassing approach that upholds the right of every missing individual to be found and the rights of their families to know about their fate and whereabouts.
As we observe the International Day of the Disappeared, we reaffirm our commitment to support all efforts in continuing the search for missing persons as every one of them deserves to be found.
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