On the 30th of August the International Day of the Disappeared has been celebrated in Iraq – as in the rest of the world. This day has been established after an international conference organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 2003, aimed at recognizing in the International Humanitarian Law the dramatic nature of the disappearances and the suffering hidden behind them. 

Iraq is the country with one of the highest numbers of missing persons in the world due to decades of armed conflicts, political and governmental instability, and periods of violence. The disappeared people have their own lives and history, therefore the reasons that have led to their disappearance are different; however, the suffering visible in the eyes of their families is the same. Parents still prepare lunch, dinner or bed hoping that their kids will return; wives take care of the family waiting to see their husbands open the house’s door; children fall asleep praying for those who have lost. The disappearances have left long-lasting wounds and heart-breaking effects on those who are waiting, who – every day -  have to struggle to survive and fight against bureaucracy or crime to try to get information useful to find their loved ones.

To help Iraqis address the issue of disappearances, the ICRC continues to offer assistance through ad hoc services, such as the Family Links, a mechanism through which you can get in touch with humanitarian workers to be supported in the search for one or more persons you want to find.

To read more, please visit:

https://www.icrc.org/en/document/iraqi-families-missing-wounds-do-not-heal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_of_the_Disappeared

https://www.icrc.org/en/document/protected-persons/missing-persons

https://familylinks.icrc.org/en/Pages/HowWeWork/How-we-work.aspx 

Author: Antonella Palmiotti