The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed deep concern regarding the ongoing suffering of thousands of families in Sri Lanka who have missing loved ones, spanning all communities in the country. These families are grappling with the anguish and uncertainty surrounding the fate of their missing relatives.
On the occasion of the International Day of the Disappeared, observed on August 30th, the ICRC released a statement acknowledging the plight of countless individuals worldwide who are separated from their families due to various circumstances, including armed conflicts, violence, disasters, humanitarian crises, and migration.
The ICRC emphasized the profound distress experienced by families of missing persons, emphasizing that not knowing the fate of their loved ones remains a constant source of agony. In many cases, the missing individual was the primary breadwinner, exacerbating the economic, legal, and administrative challenges faced by their families. The ICRC called for recognition of the struggles faced by these families by authorities, communities, and society as a whole.
Furthermore, the ICRC underscored the right of people to know what happened to their missing relatives, and it highlighted the obligation of authorities to provide information and support efforts to determine the fate and whereabouts of missing individuals, as mandated by international humanitarian law.
The ICRC emphasized the need for enhanced and sustained efforts to locate missing persons and provide families with individualized information about their fate. This includes strengthening national frameworks and systems, improving processes and mechanisms dedicated to resolving the issue of missing persons, and gathering and processing data on missing individuals, related events, and potential burial sites.
In its statement, the ICRC acknowledged that Sri Lanka has not been immune to this humanitarian tragedy. In 2023, numerous families from various communities across the country continue to grapple with the uncertainty surrounding the fate of their missing relatives. The ICRC emphasized the importance of providing these families with answers regarding their missing loved ones and enabling them to live with dignity.
In Sri Lanka, the ICRC has been actively engaged in an island-wide support program designed to address the emotional, economic, legal, and administrative needs of families with missing members. Concurrently, the ICRC has been collaborating with authorities and relevant stakeholders to enhance their capacity to meet the multifaceted needs of these families, including their need for information.
The ICRC affirmed its commitment to sharing its global expertise with Sri Lankan stakeholders to contribute to the process of clarifying the fate and whereabouts of missing persons, in accordance with its humanitarian mandate.