ICRC calls for better response to needs of families of missing

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GENEVA, Aug. 28 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Wednesday called for a better and broader response to the needs of the families of persons missing as the result of armed conflicts or natural disasters ahead of the International Day of the Disappeared to be observed on August 30.

"Every year, hundreds of thousands of people are separated from loved ones in such situations," said Marianne Pecassou, head of the ICRC team dealing with the missing, in a statement.

"The families will tell you that what they need more than anything else is to find out what happened to the person who vanished - unfortunately, in too many cases, that question may never be resolved. But they also have other needs that go far beyond this," Pecassou said.

According to the ICRC, the needs include those stemming from legal issues relating to the unresolved status of the missing person such as inheritance, property, marital status or even the custody of children, the financial needs caused by the costs involved in searching for the missing relative or in supporting the family if the person who disappeared was a main breadwinner, and as well as psychological needs.

On this year's International Day of the Disappeared, ICRC is scheduled to launch a manual which is intended to help those within and outside the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement who strive to assist the families of the missing.

"In the 10 years since the 2003 International Conference on Missing Persons and their Families, we have developed a much deeper understanding of the wide range of needs of these families," noted Pecassou, "We understand that our response to those needs, if it is to be adequate, must be holistic and multi-disciplinary. We are hopeful the new manual will provide guidance in that direction."

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