THE International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has launched an online page to help trace missing persons due to the fighting in Marawi City.
The ICRC website page supplements existing tracing services such as the 12 PRC welfare desks in evacuation centers in Marawi and Iligan cities. The information shared by families with the Red Cross remains confidential.
The ICRC said in a statement that they received 402 tracing request, 179 of which are still being looked into since the beginning of the conflict in Marawi.
The fighting broke out when Maute group members went berserk and occupied several establishments after government troops raided the hideout of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (Isis).
The Isis-inspired Maute group is providing protection to Hapilon, who fled to evade pursuing troops in Basilan province.
“It has been more than three months since fighting broke out in Marawi City, in Lanao del Sur province, but for families whose loved ones are still missing, the wait seems never-ending,” the ICRC said.
“On the occasion of the International Day of the Disappeared (30 August), the ICRC wishes to draws attention to the plight of these families and stresses that people have a right to know what happened to their missing relatives.”
Camilla Matteucci, head of the ICRC team working with the PRC to reunite families in the Philippines, said there are many possible causes of separation during a conflict situation.
“People could be trapped by the fighting, detained or even killed. They could be in an evacuation center but not have the means to contact their kin. At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that families have a right to know what has happened to their loved ones, and wherever possible, be reunited with them. Our tracing website offers a platform for people to share information about their missing relatives and request our help in tracing them,” Matteucci said.
Reuniting families in times of conflict or disaster is a key service that is always provided by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
The ICRC and the PRC have been providing technical and material support to help the authorities manage dead bodies in Marawi City.
The PRC has provided psycho-social support to more than 10,400 people, including children, affected by the conflict.