Thousands of families still searching for more than 25,000 people missing due to the conflict in northeast Nigeria must not be forgotten, ICRC has said
To seek solutions for those missing and their families, stakeholders from across Nigeria will meet in Abuja on Tuesday, supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
“Behind every missing person there are many more people suffering from the anguish and uncertainty of not knowing the fate and whereabouts of a loved one,” said Kouame Adjoumani from the ICRC.
“Families of the missing face economic, psychosocial, administrative and legal difficulties all at once – and can be unable to rebuild their lives until these challenges are overcome.”
The stakeholder meeting is co-hosted by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and, Social Development as well as the National Human Rights Commission.
The meeting seeks to raise awareness, establish collaborative networks, develop methods towards solutions, build avenues for engagement, as well as discuss priorities and an action plan to support families of the missing.
Stakeholders from across the country will attend, including ministries, agencies, civil society, and representatives from families of the missing.
“Our caseload of more than 25,000 missing people in Nigeria is likely just the tip of the iceberg,” said Anne-Sofie Stockman, who works with families of the missing for the ICRC in Nigeria.
“The actual number of those missing is likely much higher.”
More than 90 percent of ICRC missing cases in Nigeria are connected to the armed conflict in the northeast.
In 2022, together with the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the ICRC helped exchange 4319 ‘Red Cross messages’ and facilitate 812 phone calls between separated family members.
We facilitated 14 family reunions and provided psychosocial, economic, legal, and administrative support to 156 people affected by missing loved ones.
This is the support we provide for communities in Nigeria, as we do around the world.
For further information, please contact:
Aliyu Dawobe, ICRC Abuja, +234 803 953 4881
Pat Griffiths, ICRC Abuja, +234 903 151 5543
Aliyu Dawobe
Public Relations Officer
International Committee of the Red Cross
No. 5, Queen Elizabeth Street, Asokoro, Abuja- Nigeria
Phone +2348028417085
WhatsApp +2348039534881
Twitter – https://twitter.com/ADawobe