Trace the Face: Reuniting families

"I remembered his eyes. It was difficult to recognize him in the photograph they showed me because he had grown. But looking at those eyes, I could see a reflection of my son Ali* as I had last seen him," said Sofia*.

Ali had lost contact with his family after setting out of home to go abroad. After three years of separation, Sofia* finally saw her son when the ICRC and the PRC facilitated a video call between them.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's Restoring Family Links Network helps reunite thousands of loved ones like Sofia and Ali through the Trace the Face website. This is an online tracing service with photos of people looking for their relatives.

The ICRC – through the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies – provides Restoring Family Links services to the people who have been separated from their family members due to any situation that requires a humanitarian response. Working together with National Societies in Europe, we have helped Pakistanis abroad find their loved ones through a click on our website Trace the Face.

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the people.