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News ICRC helping people in South Ossetia 2-9-2008 News release 25-8-2008 News release Section Restoring contact between families separated by armed conflicts and natural disasters What to do if you are looking for a missing relative ? Every year, armed conflicts, other situations of violence and natural disasters leave countless people seeking news of family members. ©ICRC/P.Jequier/rw-e-00067
Rwanda. A woman and her son are reunited thanks to the ICRC's restoring family links programme.
Restoring family links means carrying out, in those situations, a range of activities that aim to prevent separation and disappearance, restore and maintain contact between family members, and clarify the fate of persons reported missing. It involves collecting information about persons who are missing, persons who have died, and vulnerable persons such as children separated from their families and persons deprived of their freedom. It also involves tracing persons unaccounted for, organizing the exchange of family news and the transmission of documents when normal means of communication have broken down, organizing family reunifications and repatriations, and issuing travel documents and attestations. See also : The missing - a major ICRC initiative  Key document21-2-2008 What to do if you are looking for a relativeYou are anxious for news of a relative with whom you have lost contact due to an armed conflict, other situations of violence or a natural disaster. Postal service, telephone and other regular means of communication have broken down. (ICRC Activities\Protection\Restoring family links) Includes Photo 27-8-2007 The Missing: preventing disappearances and finding answersOn the occasion of the International Day of the Disappeared on 30 August, Renée Zellweger Monin, head of the ICRC's Task Force on the Missing, talks about how the organization is working to prevent disappearances and bring news to the long-suffering families of the missing. (Focus\Missing persons) Interview Includes Photo 28-11-2006 Restoring family links: strengthening the response of the MovementBuilding on the Agenda for Humanitarian Action adopted by the 28th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in 2003, the ICRC has launched a global initiative to strengthen the Red Cross and Red Crescent Family Links Network over the coming decade. (ICRC Activities\Protection\Restoring family links) Includes Photo Project bulletins31-8-2007 Restoring family links – project bulletin No. 3Our relationships — with family and friends — play an essential role in defining our identities and provide us with a sense of security and stability. If they break down, important elements of our identity are lost and so is our primary source of support. The Restoring Family Links (RFL) Strategy for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement puts these ties back at the heart of the Movement’s activities. (ICRC Activities\Protection\Restoring family links) Includes PDF 28-7-2006 Restoring family links – project bulletin No. 2Building on the Agenda for Humanitarian Action adopted by the 28th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in 2003, the ICRC has launched a global initiative to strengthen the Red Cross and Red Crescent Family Links Network over the coming decade. The purpose of the project is to build a dynamic network of tracing services that can respond quickly and efficiently to the needs of separated families. (ICRC Activities\Protection\Restoring family links) Includes PDF 30-11-2005 Restoring family links – project bulletin No. 1In December 2004, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement launched a project to develop its work on restoring family links. The aim is to meet the humanitarian needs of people separated from their families. Project Bulletin No. 1 explains the main phases of creating a strategy for the coming ten years. (ICRC Activities\Protection\Restoring family links) Includes PDF Annual Report2-6-2008 Protection and central tracing agency: extract from ICRC Annual Report 2007The Protection and Central Tracing Agency Division provides strategic support and professional expertise in three areas of activity – protection of the civilian population, protection of people deprived of their freedom and restoring family links, including issues regarding missing persons and their families – to operations in the field . In 2007, it completed the reorganization of its structure into three thematic units corresponding to its three areas of activity. (ICRC Activities\Protection) Annual Report Feature1-9-2008 Guatemala: a young man’s search for his identityAccording to the report published by the Historical Clarification Commission, around 5,000 children became separated from their families during the internal armed conflict in Guatemala. Sebastián Max was one of them. After 28 long years, he has finally learned his true identity. (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Guatemala) Feature Includes Photo 21-8-2008 Georgia: for the ones left behind - so near and yet so farFor the elderly, the sick and the frail who were unable to leave home when other family members fled the fighting in and around South Ossetia, each passing day of separation increases their vulnerability. Jessica Barry has been talking to some of the displaced in Tbilisi about the loved ones they left behind. (The ICRC worldwide\Eastern Europe and Central Asia\Georgia) Feature Includes Photo 17-8-2008 Georgia: uncertainty about the future haunts the displacedSince the start of the conflict in South Ossetia on 8th August, tens of thousands of people have fled from towns and villages all across Georgia. Many of them have made for the capital, Tbilisi, where they have found shelter in makeshift collective centres in schools, kindergartens and abandoned buildings. Now they wait for help from others, a situation they could never have imagined only a fortnight ago. (The ICRC worldwide\Eastern Europe and Central Asia\Georgia) Feature Includes Photo 9-6-2008 Zimbabwe: a long journey of hope to reunionWhen the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo spread to the village of Uvira in South Kivu Province, people fled in fear for their lives. Many were separated from their families. Some, like Domina, undertook arduous journeys to ICRC-supported refugee camps such as Tongogara in neighbouring Zimbabwe. The ICRC's Mabel Sithole reports. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Zimbabwe) Feature Includes Photo 8-6-2008 An unexpected twist: Mulumderwa's storyYears of civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have torn families apart, forcing people to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. The ICRC works closely with National Red Cross Societies, supporting refugee camps and tracing services to bring people together again. For some, years of despair can turn to happiness in an instant. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Zimbabwe) Feature Includes Photo 5-6-2008 Myanmar: cyclone families ‘safe and well’Restoring family links is an important part of the Myanmar Red Cross Society’s response to the devastation wrought by Cyclone Nargis. The ICRC’s technical expertise in this field is helping to strengthen the National Society’s effectiveness in reuniting family members. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Myanmar) Feature Includes Photo 5-6-2008 A lifeline to the outside worldFormer naval commander, Ajith Boyagoda, was captured and detained for eight years by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). During this time, the ICRC regularly visited him and his fellow detainees. In Colombo, he spoke to Claudia McGoldrick about what helped him to get through his ordeal. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Sri Lanka) Feature Includes Photo 5-6-2008 Civilians' plight : Testimonies of victims of Sri Lanka's 25-year conflictAlmost three decades of armed conflict in Sri Lanka have had wide-ranging humanitarian consequences for the population. The ICRC works to improve the situation of affected populations, including separated families and the internally displaced, the wounded, the sick and the detained. Claudia McGoldrick heard some of their stories. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Sri Lanka) Feature Includes Photo 26-5-2008 Israel/Gaza: 23 years' solitary for a detainee's wifeTahani is one of hundreds of Palestinian wives whose husbands are held in Israeli prisons. For the past 23 years, she has had to raise their six children alone. In June 2007, the Israeli authorities suspended all family visits; she is desperate to see him once again. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Israel) Feature 15-5-2008 Myanmar: supporting the National Society to help reunite familiesWhen San-Hta Nyunt was planning to return to Myanmar for a holiday after completing her most recent mission as a tracing delegate with the ICRC in Tunis, little did she realise that her next mission would be in her own cyclone-hit country. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Myanmar) Feature Includes Photo 15-5-2008 Argentina: restoring family links during armed conflict and violenceFor almost thirty years, Irene Quaglia has been responsible for tracing activities at the ICRC’s Buenos Aires delegation. This has involved her in two dramatic periods of Argentine history: the violence of the 1970s and the Falklands/Malvinas. In this article, she shares her memories with us. (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Argentina) Feature Includes Photo 9-5-2008 Colombia/Panama: a Red Cross message crosses the Darién forestLiris Copete and her mother Roquelina Córdoba had to flee Colombia and take refuge in Punusa, in the Panamanian province of Darién, on account of constant clashes in the area where they lived. In 2004, they again had to move in search of safety. (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Panama) Feature Includes Photo 2-5-2008 Afghanistan: video calls provide vital link to families of detaineesEarly in 2008, the ICRC and American authorities set up a system to enable individuals held at the US detention facility in Bagram to communicate with their families via video-teleconference calls. The ICRC's tracing field officer in Kabul, Haji Abu Sayed, tells the story of Janan, a nomadic herdsman who travelled long and far to see his son. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Feature Includes Photo 28-4-2008 Kenya: Red Cross helps mother find son after 20 yearsWith the signing of the peace agreement and the formation of a coalition government in Kenya, hopes are high that a solution will be found for the more than 170,000 people currently living in IDP (internally displaced persons) camps. ICRC and KRCS (Kenyan Red Cross) tracing teams have reunited more than 120 families separated by the post-election violence. Anne Mucheke reports. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Kenya) Feature 25-4-2008 Tunisia: a Guantanamo internee and his family exchange news by phone for the first timeWednesday 27 February, 3.00 p.m., in the family home of Guantanamo internee Ahmed (fictitious name). Four pairs of eyes focus anxiously on the cellular phone which Ralph Wehbe, ICRC delegate in Tunis, has brought. In a few minutes, Ahmed's father, brother and two sisters will perhaps have a chance to speak to the young man they haven't seen for many long years for the first time. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Tunisia) Feature 4-4-2008 Chechnya: Gawza says she is all cried outIn January 2008 the ICRC embarked on a programme designed to assess the legal, administrative, psychological and psycho-social needs of people who have a loved one missing. Virginie, a psychologist, and Aïna – both working for the ICRC in Grozny – visited Gawza, whose son is missing. (The ICRC worldwide\Eastern Europe and Central Asia\Russia) Feature Includes Photo 12-3-2008 Sierra Leone: home at lastSierra Leone's internal conflict between the Revolutionary United Front and government forces ended in 2002. Countless families were split up by the fighting and many are still trying to trace their loved ones six years on. The ICRC's Abu Bakr Gamanga reports. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Sierra Leone) Feature Includes Photo 18-2-2008 Chad: Waiting for news from N’DjamenaAs the inhabitants of N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, go about rebuilding their lives, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Red Cross of Chad are striving to respond to the emotional needs of families split up by violence. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Chad) Feature Includes Photo 18-2-2008 Three orphans return to family in the Democratic Republic of the CongoIn July 2007 two nuns appeared at the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Brazzaville to request that the organization repatriate three young orphans to Zongo, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The story of a journey filled with apprehension and joy, by Valery Mbaoh and Latif M’Backe. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Congo-Brazzaville) Feature Includes Photo 8-2-2008 Kenya: helping to heal the anguish of families torn apartWith a large-scale assistance operation in place for people displaced by the violence, the Kenya Red Cross and the ICRC are urgently seeking to locate and re-unite relatives who became separated in the turmoil. Report from Nakuru, in the Rift Valley. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Kenya) Feature Includes Photo 31-1-2008 DRC: helping child soldiers find the road home In eastern DRC there is a centre that has helped over 1,500 former child soldiers reintegrate with their communities. The ICRC provides material support and plays the crucial role of reconnecting the children with their families. Bernard Barrett reports from Bukavu. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Congo-Kinshasa) Feature Includes Photo 29-1-2008 Darfur: a message from mum lights up Seina’s dayFamily separation is one of the painful lasting consequences of the Darfur conflict. Thousands of people who have lost touch with their families regain contact thanks to messages sent through the ICRC and the Sudanese Red Crescent. The ICRC’s Cecilia Goin reports from North Darfur. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Sudan) Feature Includes Photo 13-1-2008 Afghanistan: waiting for a hi-tech glimpse of their loved onesUntil now, inmates of the detention facility at Bagram have communicated with their families using traditional Red Cross Message forms. In mid-January the ICRC, with the US military, introduced a video-conference system that allows relatives to see and hear their loved ones. Focus on three families eager to try it out. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Feature Includes Photo 8-1-2008 Côte d'Ivoire: Finest Christmas presentWith tears in her eyes, Pauline clasps her daughter close as a crowd gathers to watch. It has been five long years, and no-one in the village believed the child could still be alive. "It's the most wonderful Christmas present I've ever had! God bless the Red Cross!" (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Cote d'Ivoire) Feature Includes Photo 30-11-2007 Bangladesh: bringing news of those lost in the stormSince Cyclone Sidr hit coastal areas of the country on 15 November, the death toll has risen to over 3,000. With 1,700 people still listed missing, the Bangladesh Red Crescent's tracing staff is working tirelessly to bring news of the disappeared to their families. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Bangladesh) Feature Includes Photo 24-9-2007 Congo-Kinshasa: former child soldiers return to their familiesThe ongoing peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is allowing some fighters to lay down their weapons and begin a peaceful life. The ICRC is helping to demobilize child soldiers so that they can return to their families. Journalist Isabel Coello reports. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Congo-Kinshasa) Feature Includes Photo 7-9-2007 Sudan: family reunion brings light to blind man's lifeThe protracted conflict in Darfur has separated thousands of people from their families over several decades. Salih Ashgar, 78, is one of the victims. He fled for his life, found shelter in various camps, most of the time on his own. His hardship took a turn for the worse the day he became blind. Since being reunited with his brother after 24 years of separation, light and hope have returned to Salih's life. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Sudan) Feature Includes Photo 29-8-2007 The Missing in Iraq: a harsh reality, an unsolved tragedyNot knowing the fate of family members missing as a result of armed conflict or violence is a harsh reality for hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world, including Iraqis. Mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, daughters, sons and their extended families are desperate to know the whereabouts or fate of their loved ones. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Iraq) Feature Includes Photo 16-7-2007 Rwanda: Cyprien helps young Evariste to rejoin family after years of separationCyprien Ndemeye has been a Rwandan Red Cross volunteer for 15 years. For most of that time he has worked to trace and reunite families thrust apart by the tragic events that have shaped Rwanda and the region since 1994. As time passes, memories fade and any information obtained may be too fragmentary to help to reunite a family. Nevertheless, thanks to Cyprien, a young man aged 16 was able to rejoin his family last year. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Rwanda) Feature Includes Photo 9-7-2007 Somalia: helping separated families stay in touchOne of the tasks of the ICRC in Somalia is to reunite families separated by conflict or natural disaster. To meet this challenge, the organization uses a wide range of tools, including the Red Cross message system, its family links website and radio broadcasts. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Somalia) Feature 25-6-2007 Southern Afghanistan: Red Cross messages reunite hundreds of detainees with their families every monthIn Southern Afghanistan, ICRC delegates regularly visit detainees in places of detention throughout the region. As part of this work, the ICRC offers detainees the opportunity to maintain contact with their families their through Red Cross messages. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Feature 18-6-2007 Family reunion brings tears of joy to beleaguered West DarfurHoweyda Abdullah Awadh is a shy fifteen-year-old girl with a gorgeous smile. She had plenty to smile about at a recent family reunion in West Darfur. The ICRC's Ayman Alshehabi reports from Al Geneina. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Sudan) Feature Includes Photo 21-5-2007 Restoring family links: bringing Caprivi families to visit their detained relatives in NamibiaAs the rest of the world marked May Day, more than 140 people from the Caprivi Strip of Namibia were rejoicing from a different perspective: they were celebrating the long-awaited opportunity to visit their relatives who are behind bars since the secessionist Caprivi uprising of 1999. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Namibia) Feature Includes Photo 6-5-2005 Sixty years on: tracing victims of the Second World WarEvery year, the ICRC and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies receive tens of thousands of tracing requests relating to the Second World War. The work of the ICRC and Red Cross/Red Crescent tracing officers still reunites families torn apart during the six-year conflict. Marcin Monko, of the ICRC's regional delegation in Budapest, sent this report. (About the ICRC\History\Second World War) Feature Includes Photo ICRC film3-5-2006 Angola: the scars of conflictFour years after the civil war in Angola ended, thousands of children are still separated from their families. 13 year old Teresa has had to look after her younger brothers and sister since their parents were killed in the conflict. The Red Cross has managed to locate their uncle who has agreed to take them in, and the children set out to meet their new family. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Films\From the field) ICRC film Includes Video 16-12-2004 Where are they now?
Restoring and maintaining family links: the worldwide network of the ICRC and the Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies Uncertainty over the fate of a loved one causes untold suffering in wartime. This film captures how the ICRC Central Tracing Agency, together with Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies all over the world, works to alleviate this suffering. It illustrates the different means and methods used in the essential efforts to trace family members and to restore family links. From distributing Red Cross messages and organizing family reunifications to visiting persons deprived of their freedom, the work undertaken brings welcome news and relief to thousands of people every year. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Films\Protection) ICRC film Includes Video ICRC Publication29-8-2007 Missing Persons - A hidden tragedyPeople have gone missing as long as men have been fighting wars. The plight of people missing in armed conflict and the suffering of their families has been a consistent concern to the ICRC. This specially commissioned report, written by an independent journalist, turns the spotlight onto the plight of missing persons and their families. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Protection) ICRC Publication Includes PDF 28-8-2006 The Missing: ICRC progress reportIn 2002, the ICRC began looking at ways of better assisting people missing as a result of armed conflict or internal violence, and their relatives. Following an International Conference of Governmental and Non-Governmental Experts (held in 2003), the Agenda for Humanitarian Action was adopted, which sets out clear objectives for the States and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to achieve between 2004 and 2007. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Protection) ICRC Publication Includes PDF 30-4-2004 Armed conflict and family linksThis revised leaflet provides a concise summary of the problem of families split up by war and a description of the methods used to restore family links, reunite separated families and ascertain the status of detainees and missing persons. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Protection) ICRC publication Includes PDF 26-3-2004 Inter-agency guiding principles on unaccompanied and separated childrenThis set of comprehensive guidelines outlines a framework and set of principles intended to ensure that the rights and needs of separated children are effectively addressed. Created through close inter-agency collaboration, the guidelines aim to promote and support preparedness, coordination and good practice based on lessons learnt. The document addresses all aspect of an emergency from preventing separations, to family tracing and reunification through to long-term solutions and encourages the pooling of complementary skills and expertise. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Protection) ICRC Publication Includes PDF 31-12-2002 Waiting for newsWhen war breaks out families are torn apart, populations can be displaced or forced into exile, children become separated from their parents, and soldiers are wounded, taken prisoner, reported missing or killed in action. The ICRC and the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies work, often together with other humanitarian agencies, to alleviate the human suffering arising from these situations - in addition to other aid, this can include distributing Red Cross messages, organizing family reunifications, issuing temporary travel documents and capture cards and visiting persons deprived of their freedom.
(Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Protection) ICRC publication Includes PDF 31-12-2001 Restoring family links: a guide for National Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesIntended for National Societies, this guide promotes a common approach of the Movement to restoring family links broken by conflict, natural disaster or other humanitarian crises. It includes advice on refining tracing tools, including new technologies, and describes the legal basis for tracing work. It aims to improve skills to respond to the growing worldwide demand for such services. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Protection) ICRC publication International Review of the Red Cross30-6-1999 The search for German prisoners and persons missing since the Second World War - a chapter in the history of the German Red Cross tracing service(Info resources\International Review\1999 - No. 834) International Review of the Red Cross 30-6-1996 Bosnia and Herzegovina: tracing missing persons(Info resources\International Review\1996 - No. 312) International Review of the Red Cross Interview18-1-2008 Colombia: how the ICRC helped in the release of Clara and ConsueloThe freeing of the two women hostages highlighted the ICRC's work in the long conflict in Colombia, which has created millions of victims. Barbara Hintermann, head of the ICRC delegation in Bogota, gives the background to the release operation and to broader aspects of ICRC concern. (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Colombia) Interview Includes Photo 30-11-2007 Somalia: providing essential tracing service despite harsh conditionsThe Somali Red Crescent continues to provide tracing services to the beleaguered Somali population, in spite of mounting security concerns. South-north migration is exacerbating an already dire situation. The ICRC's Bernard Barrett talks with the President of the Somali Red Crescent Society, Dr Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, in this excerpt of the interview published in the Arabic-language magazine, Al Insani. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Somalia) Interview Includes Photo 8-6-2007 "For lasting peace, we must deal with the missing"Mary Werntz, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Nepal, spoke with The Nepali Times about helping families find missing members and the need for a separate, independent commission on the disappeared. This interview was first published in The Nepali Times and is reproduced with the kind authorization of the publisher. The interview was conducted by Anagha Neelakantan. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Nepal) Interview Includes Photo 20-12-2006 Enforced disappearance: UN Convention "a major achievement" that brings new hopeThe new UN Convention against enforced disappearance was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly this week. In an interview for the website, ICRC legal adviser Cordula Droege explains the convention and talks about the difference this landmark treaty can make to the victims of enforced disappearance and their families. (Humanitarian law\Missing persons) Interview Includes Photo Official Statement6-2-2007 Ending enforced disappearances: a matter of urgency for the sake of humanity and justiceSpeech by Mr. Jakob Kellenberger, President of the ICRC, Official ceremony to mark the opening for signature of the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance, Paris - 6 February 2007 (Humanitarian law\Missing persons) Official Statement 27-6-2006 Enforced disappearance: a violation of humanitarian law and human rightsStatement by the International Committee of the Red Cross to the United Nations Human Rights Council, 27 June 2006, concerning the draft International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances. (ICRC Activities\Humanitarian diplomacy\United Nations\Commission on human rights) Official Statement 21-3-2006 International Tracing Service and historical researchSince 1955 the ICRC has been managing the International Tracing Service in Arolsen, Germany. Striving to help people who were persecuted under the Nazi regime, including victims of the Holocaust, the ITS works with a purely humanitarian mandate derived from the Bonn Agreements of 6 June 1955. (About the ICRC\History\Second World War) Official Statement Photo Collection29-4-2008 From the tragedy of separation to the joy of being reunited The suffering of families without news of what has happened to a relative is one of the cruellest consequences of war and disaster. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's global network seeks to restore and maintain links between separated family members and to establish the fate of missing persons. (Info resources\Photos) Photo Collection Includes Photo 23-3-2005 Guinea – Liberia: Child refugees return home Every week, the ICRC repatriates dozens of children displaced by war in West Africa. These children, who come from Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Côte d'Ivoire, often spend many long years in refugee camps before they can return to their families. In February 2005, Vassily Fadeev and Jean-Yves Clémenzo, two ICRC communication delegates based in Guinea and Liberia, accompanied six of them on their trip back home. (Info resources\Photos\Africa) Photo Collection Includes Photo Press article29-4-2008 The Missing: a hidden tragedyUncertainty about the fate of their loved ones is a harsh reality for countless families of people unaccounted for as a result of armed conflict or internal violence. Much remains to be done to address this pressing humanitarian issue and to help families cope with the trauma - Article published in the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine, No 1, 2008. (Focus\Missing persons) Press article 30-4-2007 Georgia : A tale of three womenSince Georgia gained independence in 1991, thousands of families have been uprooted and torn apart by the tensions caused by the secessionist aspirations of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The stories of three women poignantly attest to the suffering these people have endured - Article published in the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine, No 1, 2007 (The ICRC worldwide\Eastern Europe and Central Asia\Georgia) Press article Video Collection12-6-2008 Video phone calls for Bagram prisoners and their relativesPrisoners in Bagram Airbase, Aghanistan, are now able to talk to relatives they have not seen for months and even years. A video phone link, set up by the ICRC and the United States authorities, allows families to see and talk to their loved ones for 20 minutes at a time. According to Graziella Leite Piccolo, from the ICRC's Kabul office, it can be an emotional experience for both sides. (Info resources\Video\Asia and the Pacific) Video Collection Includes Video 6-12-2007 Family affairs: a journey home for Burundi's childrenWith the help of the ICRC, four children in the Lukolé refugee camps prepare to leave Tanzania to return to their families in Burundi. The organization has been active in this camp since 1994 and reunites people across borders under three conditions: the unaccompanied children must give their consent, families are ready to welcome them and security conditions are sufficient to safely resume their past lives - contains links to Kiswahili and Kirundi versions (Info resources\Video) Video Collection Includes Video More in this section10-1-2008 Restoring family linksCouncil of delegates of the international Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Geneva, 23-24 November 2007 (Focus\RC Movement\Council of Delegates\2007) Includes PDF 1-7-2007 Tracing offices of recognized Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies(About the ICRC\Contacts) 3-6-2005 The International Tracing Service – 50 years on The International Tracing Service came into being in its present form through the Bonn Agreements of 6 June 1955. It has the mammoth task of gathering, filing, preserving and processing the personal records of civilians who were persecuted under the Third Reich.
(About the ICRC\History\Second World War) 16-7-2002 War and family links: Steps towards reunificationLaws exist which protect children in the midst of armed conflict; laws guaranteeing their right to life, dignity and other basic rights. The ICRC insists that these laws should be applied and implemented. Furthermore, to reinforce the existing law, it is essential to ensure that relevant provisions of international humanitarian law are respected and implemented so that the basic rights of children, as well as their right to life and to dignity can be guaranteed. (ICRC Activities\Protection\Restoring family links) Includes Photo 15-7-2002 History of the Central Tracing Agency of the ICRC(ICRC Activities\Protection\Restoring family links) 27-11-2000 War and family links: relevant legal textsForwarding information, tracing missing persons and family reunification under international humanitarian law and Red Cross law (Humanitarian law\Missing persons) Other site8-2-2007 International Federation of Family Associations of Missing Persons from Armed ConflictsIFFAMPAC is an international humanitarian non-governmental organization working with family associations of missing persons from armed conflicts worldwide. IFFAMPAC focuses on the surviving families of armed conflict who face tremendous social, economic, legal, and cultural challenges when a primary economic provider of the family vanishes and cannot be accounted for as a result of conflict. (Info resources\Other sites\Non-governmental organizations) Other site 23-2-2005 International Tracing Service in ArolsenThe International Tracing Service at Bad Arolsen (ITS) serves victims of Nazi persecutions and their families by documenting their fate through the archives it manages. The ITS preserves these historic records and makes them available for research. (Info resources\Other sites\Red Cross and Red Crescent) Other site  |
