The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has reported a staggering increase in the number of missing persons across Africa, with over 71,000 individuals registered as missing as of June 2024.
This figure marks a 75% rise from the 40,708 recorded in 2019, highlighting a growing crisis. The alarming statistics were shared by Patrick Youssef, the ICRC’s Regional Director for Africa, in a statement issued on Thursday to commemorate the International Day of the Disappeared on August 30.
The International Day of the Disappeared is a day dedicated to raising awareness about the plight of missing persons worldwide, honoring their memory, and acknowledging the profound emotional toll on their families.
Youssef emphasized that under international humanitarian law, state authorities bear the primary responsibility for determining the fate and whereabouts of missing persons. However, prolonged armed conflicts, natural disasters, and dangerous migration routes have exacerbated the situation, leaving countless families in anguish.
“People can go missing when they are arrested, captured, detained, and held incommunicado. They might still be alive but lack the means to contact their relatives,” Youssef explained.
In Nigeria alone, 24,000 people are currently registered as missing, with more than half of them being children at the time of their disappearance. The majority of these cases are concentrated in the northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, regions devastated by ongoing armed conflicts.
Volunteers from the Nigerian Red Cross have been tirelessly working to reconnect families who have lost contact with their loved ones due to the violence. Alongside delivering Red Cross messages, the ICRC is providing essential mental health support, legal advice, and, in some instances, financial assistance to affected families.
“In Nigeria, the ICRC has registered around 24,000 people as missing, though this likely represents only a fraction of the total number. More than half of these cases involved children when they disappeared,” Youssef said. “In the northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, for example, Nigerian Red Cross volunteers have been working to deliver messages to families who have lost contact with their loved ones due to armed conflict. The ICRC also offers these families mental health support, legal advice, and financial assistance where needed.”
