By Ebi Kesiena
As of June 2024, more than 71,000 people have been registered as missing across Africa, marking a 75% increase from the 40,708 recorded in 2019, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The alarming data was disclosed by Patrick Youssef, ICRC’s Regional Director for Africa, in a statement on Friday to commemorate the International Day of the Disappeared on August 30. This day is dedicated to raising awareness about missing persons worldwide, honoring their memory, and acknowledging the profound impact on their families.
Youssef emphasized that under international humanitarian law, it is the responsibility of state authorities to determine the fate and whereabouts of missing persons. However, prolonged armed conflicts, natural disasters, and dangerous migration routes have intensified the crisis, leaving countless families in anguish.
“People can go missing due to arrests, capture, detention, or being held incommunicado. They might be alive but unable to contact their families,” Youssef explained.
Nigeria, in particular, has seen a significant number of cases, with 24,000 people currently registered as missing, over half of whom were children at the time of their disappearance. Most cases are concentrated in the conflict-affected northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe.
The Nigerian Red Cross volunteers are working tirelessly to reconnect families separated by violence, delivering Red Cross messages, providing mental health support, legal advice, and, in some cases, financial assistance.
“In Nigeria, the ICRC’s registered cases likely represent only a fraction of the total number. Many families remain in the dark about their loved ones’ fate,” Youssef added.
