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Today marks the International Day of the Disappeared to commemorate hundreds of thousands of people who are missing around the world as a result of armed conflicts, violence, migration and natural disasters. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stands by families of missing persons and remember their missing relatives together with them, it said in a news release.

In the region, thousands of people are missing in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Many thousands more live with the agony of not knowing the fate of their loved ones. The constant uncertainty they live in often leads to emotional exhaustion and leaves lasting wounds. Not knowing what happened to a parent, spouse or child, places an intolerable burden on these families. They live in limbo, unable to mourn, between endless hope and despair.

“I don’t know where he is and whether he is alive or not,” says Haykanush Manukyan whose son went missing in connection with the autumn 2020 escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “I ask all organizations, everyone – if you can help with anything or find any information, please don’t stand still, do something.”

The ICRC engages with relevant authorities to support their efforts to clarify the fate of the missing persons and provide answers to the families. “Across the region, we collaborate with concerned government institutions offering our technical expertise and through our delegation in Armenia, share our experience from other contexts in the world to aid the efforts of the Armenian authorities,” the organization said.

“We want the families of missing persons to know that their loved ones are not forgotten. They are not alone. And we will continue supporting States to do everything in their power to provide answers to the families, thereby upholding the families' right to know,” said Robert Mardini, the ICRC Director General.