ICRC is searching for 2,3 thousand missing persons in Northern Caucasus

The International Committee of the Red Cross has presently received 2324 search requests from persons whose relatives in Northern Caucasus are considered missing. This figure was announced by North-Caucasian Mission of ICRC on the eve of International Day of Missing People which is commemorated today, August, 30.

The problem of missing persons is one of the gravest humanitarian problems emerging from armed confrontations or other cases of violence.

“Thousands of people in the Russian Federation, civilians, representatives of armed and security forces and other persons who took part in military actions got lost as a result of armed confrontations and other cases of violence in Northern Caucasus. There are also people missing since the military actions of 2008 in South Osetia. Millions of people disappeared during Word War II and over 200 Soviet servicemen got lost during the war in Afghanistan”, a statement of the Committee of the Red Cross received by the “Caucasian Knot” runs.

According to Jacque Barberis, Head of the Mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Chechen Republic and the Republic of Dagestan, the gage of the problem of missing people in the Russian Federation is great.

“The problem is known in this region since the period of World War II: millions of people still remain missing. The fates of many of those who took part in the war in Afghanistan is unknown, too. Their families are still waiting for them, he says. – As for the latest events in the Caucasus, they are also extremely grave. Thousands of people got lost here since 1992. Over 2000 people who are on the lists of the Red Cross in Chechen Republic only are considered missing. This is quite a lot. Beside civilians, over 700 representatives of armed forces and law enforcement bodies got lost during the conflict”.

Speaking of major problems the families of missing people come across in their everyday life Jacque Barberis said that in 2009 ICRC undertook a special research as a result of which it became clear that most of the families experienced psychological and social problems. Based on this research ICRC launched a program of psychological support of the missing people’s families.