Search for the Missing
In times of armed conflict, people all too often get separated in the chaos of fighting, displacement and the struggle for survival. For families, this can mean weeks, months or even years of anguish and distress – but also of hope that their loved ones will return one day. Under the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, States have obligations to prevent people from going missing and to provide families with information if they do. In this podcast, we’re looking particularly at how these obligations are reflected in the work of the ICRC Central Tracing Agency Bureau for the international armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine (CTA Bureau) and how they help alleviate the suffering of families waiting for news.
Search for the Missing
Family's Right to Know
Families have the right to know what happened to their loved ones. They also have the right to see their family's life and unity preserved. Ximena Londoño, ICRC legal advisor, and Anastasia Kushleyko, strategy advisor at the CTA Bureau, explain what this means in practice, what the states concerned must do to ensure these rights are respected, and how the ICRC helps families to (re)connect and, where possible, exchange news. They also speak of the excruciating suffering of families waiting for news.