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News Timor-Leste: two brothers reunited with family after 10 years 18-8-2010 News release 13-8-2010 Operational update 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. 
Looking for a missing relative?
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.
These activities are carried out by the worldwide Family Links Network constituted by the ICRC and the tracing services of the Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies.  Key document7-4-2010 ICRC Central Tracing Agency: half a century of restoring family links The Central Tracing Agency provides a range of tracing services worldwide that enable detainees and civilians affected by conflict, disaster and other situations to restore contact with members of their families. To mark the Agency’s 50th anniversary, the ICRC’s historian and its deputy director of operations discuss the history of the Agency and its current activities. (About the ICRC\History) Interview Includes Photo 3-2-2010 Democratic Republic of the Congo: the lost children of Goma  In the chaos of conflict, adults and children often get separated and lost. In the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has been ravaged by decades of war, hundreds of children are missing or separated. 17-year-old Shukuru hasn’t seen his parents for 8 months, but with help from the ICRC tracing team, he's found at least part of his family, and he can't wait to see them. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Films\From the field) ICRC film Includes Video 19-1-2010 Haiti: helping restore family links severed by the earthquake Following the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti, thousands of people left with no news of their loved ones are living in anguish. Robert Zimmerman, deputy head of the ICRC's central tracing agency and protection division discusses the problem and what the organization is doing to help people trace missing relatives. (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Haiti) Interview 28-5-2009 A ten-year strategy to strengthen the restoration of family links War, disasters and migration split up many thousands of families. The suffering created by such situations is not always visible to others. This global problem is mostly a silent tragedy. Olivier Dubois, deputy head of the Central Tracing Agency and Protection Division of the ICRC, discusses assistance given to family members separated by such events. (ICRC Activities\Protection\Restoring family links) Interview Includes Photo 10-1-2008 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 Newsletter24-11-2009 Newsletter: Family Links Network - October 2009Implementation of the RFL Strategy is about to enter its third year. Yet even at this early stage, there are some accomplishments to take stock of, such as regional exchanges between National Societies, the launch of the RFL Specialist Pool, the development of the “RFL in Disasters Field Manual”, and the creation of the RFL Strategy Implementation Group. On a local level, efforts are being made to restore family links for many thousands of persons including displaced persons in Pakistan. This issue also features articles on the RFL Specialist Pool, one of the core components of the RFL Strategy, which aims to ensure a rapid response to RFL needs in times of emergencies. (ICRC Activities\Protection\Restoring family links) Includes PDF 20-3-2009 Newsletter: Family Links Network - February 2009This newsletter is an update on the work being done to improve the services provided by the Restoring Family Links network for people separated from, or without news of, their family members. (ICRC Activities\Protection\Restoring family links) Includes PDF Annual Report19-5-2010 Central tracing agency and protection: extract from ICRC Annual Report 2009The Central Tracing Agency and Protection Division provides strategic support and professional expertise to field operations in three areas of activity – protection of the civilian population, protection of people deprived of their freedom and restoring family links; the latter also covers activities relating to missing persons and their families. (ICRC Activities\Protection) Annual Report Event23-8-2010 Missing Lives – Photo exhibitionFifteen years on from the wars in Croatia and Bosnia and ten years after the end of the conflict in Kosovo, thousands of families are still waiting for news of the fate of their loved ones classified as missing. Photographs are by Nick Danziger, the text by Rory MacLean. Launched in London, United Kingdom on 7 July, the exhibition will remain there until 26 July 2010, and then proceed to other cities across Europe and North America. (Info resources\Events) Event Feature24-8-2010 Pakistan: satellite phones help bring relief to family members separated by floods Floods continue to imperil the lives of thousands of people in Pakistan. The ICRC and the Pakistan Red Crescent Society have so far provided emergency aid including food, clean water and medical care to over 200,000. Separated family members are among the growing number of flood victims. Jessica Barry reports.
(The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Pakistan) Feature Includes Photo 12-8-2010 Democratic Republic of the Congo: former child soldiers going home Fifteen children, until recently soldiers, are greeted in Bukavu on their way home. It's the end of an ordeal marked by combat, pillage and rape. Marie-Servane Desjonquères reports from South Kivu. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Congo-Kinshasa) Feature Includes Photo 1-7-2010 Kyrgyzstan/Uzbekistan: lost and foundThe fighting that erupted in Kyrgyzstan in early June caused death and destruction and tore families apart as people fled their homes and country to escape the violence. The ICRC is working with the Kyrgyz and Uzbek Red Crescent Societies and authorities to restore family links. (The ICRC worldwide\Eastern Europe and Central Asia\Kyrgyzstan) Feature 23-6-2010 Rwanda: former child soldier hugs mother at last Eight years after having been separated in tragic circumstances, a teenager and his mother have been reunited thanks to the joint efforts of the ICRC and the Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (RDRC). (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Rwanda) Feature Includes Photo 3-6-2010 Senegal/Sierra Leone: 47 years old and starting over – for the second time In 1996 Mohamed Fofanah left Freetown, a city torn apart by civil war. After 13 years of wandering that brought him to Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal, he is finally going home. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Senegal) Feature Includes Photo 19-5-2010 Gaza-Jordan: mother and daughter reunited after ten years of pain As part of the ICRC’s standing efforts to restore family links between relatives separated by conflict, it recently brought an ageing mother from Gaza to live with her daughter in Amman, in Jordan, after ten years apart. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Feature Includes Photo 12-5-2010 Haiti: Saïda has been found! During the earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010, Salvanie lost all trace of her nine-year-old daughter, Saïda. The girl had been pulled alive from the rubble of her school, taken to a hospital and then sent on to an unknown destination. Her desperate mother appealed to the ICRC and the Haitian Red Cross for help. Thanks to their efforts, little Saïda was finally found in Guadeloupe. More than three months after the earthquake, she was back in her mother's arms. (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Haiti) Feature Includes Photo 12-4-2010 Rwanda/Democratic Republic of the Congo: draw me a family! Having already lost their father, Azaria and Léonie lost track of their mother as the result of the recurrent violence in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Thanks to the efforts of the ICRC and the National Societies, a family cousin has just taken them in; she lives in Rwanda, their country of origin. Pedram Yazdi accompanied them on their journey. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Congo-Kinshasa) Feature Includes Photo 11-3-2010 Chile: ocean victims get back in touch with families Fear of tsunamis and aftershocks prompted many to flee the coast of southern and central Chile after the recent earthquake. Ten days on, many victims are living in improvised camps. (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Chile) Feature Includes Photo 5-2-2010 Lebanon: a mother waits for news from Yemen Last July, a Red Cross message finally put Hajje Mariam back in touch with the daughter she last saw in 1982. Weeks later, all contact ceased, a bitter blow for this Palestinian refugee. Khadija left Lebanon 28 years ago at the height of the 1982 war with Israel. Now another war, this time in northern Yemen, has dashed Hajje Mariam’s hopes of seeing her again. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Lebanon) Feature Includes Photo 2-2-2010 Haiti earthquake: protecting unaccompanied children a priority Protecting unaccompanied children and restoring links between them and their families is one of the ICRC’s top priorities in Haiti. Marc Studer is in charge of restoring family links in Port-au-Prince. He explains how the ICRC works in partnership with the Haitian Red Cross, UNICEF and local organizations. (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Haiti) Feature Includes Photo 21-1-2010 Haiti earthquake: young and old line up to call their loved ones A few hours after a strong aftershock jolted thousands of earthquake victims in Port-au-Prince awake on Wednesday morning, people lined up to call loved ones via satellite phones provided by the ICRC. (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Haiti) Feature Includes Photo 29-12-2009 Pakistan: helping families connect with loved ones in GuantanamoAn ICRC-facilitated video-telephone call (VTC) programme launched in October 2009 is connecting relatives of detainees in Guantanamo with their loved ones. The Parachas are one of three Pakistani families benefiting from the programme, which is an extension of the VTC initiative that began at the Bagram facility in Afghanistan in April 2008. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Pakistan) Feature Includes Photo 6-11-2009 Sudan: a real Eid treat For 11 years, young Yusuf Muhammad had not seen his mother because he had fled the conflict in Darfur and crossed into Chad while she remained in Sudan. Through sheer determination on his part, and help from the ICRC, mother and son are now back together. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Sudan) Feature Includes PDF 29-5-2009 Democratic Republic of the Congo: "Mama Africa", mother of 158  For 15 years, Mama Bona has taken care of children separated from their families as a result of conflicts the country has gone through. When she cannot find a family to host unaccompanied children and orphans, they are welcome to stay at her house. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Congo-Kinshasa) Feature Includes Photo 12-5-2009 Rwanda: a young girl and her grandmother find each other at lastAfter more than 10 years of a long and painful separation from her parents because of war, a young girl found her grandmother, thanks to an ICRC radio announcement. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Rwanda) Feature Includes Photo ICRC film19-2-2010 Guatemala: the missing, everybody's commitmentThe stories of Edgar, Guadalupe and Don Jacinto are typical of hundreds of others. They are the stories of people who still suffer because a member of their family disappeared during the armed violence in Guatemala. These three Guatemalans eventually made it to the end of the long road faced by all who search for a missing relative. Many others can only dream of such an outcome. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Films\Protection) ICRC film Includes Video 3-5-2006 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 Publication24-11-2009 Professional standards for protection work carried out by humanitarian and human rights actors in armed conflict and other situations of violenceThis document has been developed by the ICRC together with an advisory group composed by personnel from different organizations and NGO, serving in their personal capacity based on the depth and diversity of their protection experience and expertise within their agencies and organizations.
The purpose of the standards is to establish a shared basis for the protection work of humanitarian and human rights actors in armed conflict and other situations of violence. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Protection) ICRC Publication Includes PDF 26-3-2009 Restoring family links, including legal referencesThis brochure contains the Restoring Family Links (RFL) Strategy of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and implementation plan (2008-2018) as adopted by Resolution 4 of the 2007 Council of Delegates. Also included is a selection of relevant legal references. The aim of the 10-year strategy is to improve the services provided by the Movement's Family Links Network in meeting the needs of people separated from their families. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Protection) ICRC Publication Includes PDF 19-3-2009 Restoring family links, presenting the strategy for a worldwide networkEach year, hundreds of thousands of people are separated from their loved ones as a result of war, disasters, migration or other circumstances. This leaflet summarizes the work being done by the Family Links Network of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to meet the needs of those separated. It also presents the actions defined by the 10-year RFL Strategy to improve services, cooperation and support for the restoration of family links. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Protection) ICRC Publication Includes PDF 29-8-2007 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 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 Cross30-9-2008 ICRC Protection PolicyThis policy document begins by defining key notions and describing the framework for action. It then outlines the principles of the ICRC’s protection framework, as well as the operational guidelines based on that framework. The document concludes by describing different types of ICRC protection activity and outlining specific considerations related to the various categories of beneficiary. (Info resources\International Review\2008 - No. 871) International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF Interview12-5-2010 Eastern Europe: clarifying the fate of Georgians, Ossetians and Russians missing in connection with 2008 hostilitiesDjordje Drndarski, the ICRC's deputy head of operations for Eastern Europe, explains how coordination mechanisms can help families find out what happened to their missing loved ones. (The ICRC worldwide\Eastern Europe and Central Asia\Georgia) Interview Includes Photo 7-4-2010 Northern Caucasus: ICRC remains active in an environment increasingly marked by violence In Ingushetia, Chechnya and Dagestan, the security situation has worsened since last summer and remains extremely volatile, making life difficult for many civilians. Djordje Drndarski, deputy head of operations for Eastern Europe, discusses the humanitarian situation in the region and the ICRC's operations. (The ICRC worldwide\Eastern Europe and Central Asia\Russia) Interview Includes Photo 15-2-2010 Missing loved ones: helping families cope with the uncertainty When a loved one goes missing, the psychological impact on those left behind can be overwhelming. Laurence de Barros-Duchene is in charge of the ICRC's mental health programmes for victims of armed conflict and other forms of violence. Recently returned from Georgia/Abkhazia, where she helped train specialists and staff of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in supporting the families of missing persons, she explains how the psychological distress caused by the disappearance is compounded by its legal, economic and social consequences. (Focus\Missing persons) Interview Includes Photo 2-2-2010 Haiti earthquake: no effort must be spared in reuniting children with their families The earthquake in Haiti has been particularly devastating for children who lost their parents. ICRC child protection adviser Kristin Barstad explains what the organization is doing alongside other agencies to find the best solution to the plight of unaccompanied children. (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Haiti) Interview Includes Photo 22-1-2010 Democratic Republic of the Congo: children travel thousands of kilometres back to loved onesIn a country as large as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), locating and reuniting family members separated by the conflict can be a complicated matter, especially during the rainy season when some areas are inaccessible. Svetlana Yudina, who runs the ICRC's programme to restore family links in the DRC, reports on a special flight to the capital Kinshasa with 42 children on board. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Congo-Kinshasa) Interview 25-8-2009 Former Guantanamo inmate Sami Elhaj explains why ICRC visits were important to himSami Elhaj, a journalist from Al Jazeera Arabic TV, who was detained at the US facility in Guantanamo for almost six years, explains how the ICRC's visits made a difference during this period, and remembers the first time he received news from his loved ones. (ICRC Activities\Protection\Detention) Interview 30-1-2009 Sri Lanka: helping families keep in touch across the front lineThe conflict in northern Sri Lanka has affected some 200,000 civilians in the Vanni. The majority have fled their homes, while others are at risk of displacement in this volatile situation. Many have not been able to talk to their families in recent days and weeks. Monica Zanarelli, the ICRC’s deputy head of operations for South Asia, explains the organization's efforts to re-establish family links in an extremely volatile situation. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Sri Lanka) Interview Includes Photo Operational update27-5-2010 Sri Lanka: recovering from conflict One year on from the end of hostilities, Sri Lanka is in transition from conflict to reconstruction and recovery. For the ICRC a lot remains to be done to meet the needs of conflict victims, including detainees and their families, amputees and other disabled people, displaced people and returnees. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Sri Lanka) Operational update Photo Collection27-11-2009 Professional standards for better protection work - in pictures The recently published guide "Professional standards for protection work" aims to provide a common basis for protection work conducted by the numerous organizations active in this field. These photos illustrate some of those standards. (Info resources\Photos) Photo Collection Includes Photo 17-9-2009 Iraq: families make their final visits to relatives detained in Bucca For families who used to visit their relatives detained in Bucca, southern Iraq, the journey was always long, perilous and costly, but well worth it. Since October 2005, the ICRC had helped make the journey possible, not least by covering part of the costs. In September 2009, with the American facility at Camp Bucca set to close down, the ICRC ended its family-visit allowance programme. During the four years that the programme ran, almost 30,000 detained people received 146,000 visits from their relatives with ICRC support. (Info resources\Photos\Middle East and North Africa) Photo Collection Includes Photo 18-6-2009 Democratic Republic of the Congo: families torn apart by the conflict never lose hope  As part of its mandate, the ICRC works to reunite family members separated by conflict. In North Kivu, as in most war-torn areas, this often involves registering unaccompanied children and advising distraught parents. (Info resources\Photos\Africa) Photo Collection Includes Photo 29-4-2008 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 Press article10-6-2010 I’m aliveThe importance of uniting families separated in times of crisis is becoming increasingly central to the Movement’s response — from Indonesia, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti.
Article published in the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine, No 1, 2010. (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Haiti) Press article 29-1-2010 Continent of small miracles – A Süddeutsche Zeitung report on the DR Congo Everywhere, family members are being thrust apart, never to see each other again. Yet there are still stories like that of Najibu. This article by Arne Perras appeared in the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung on Saturday 2 January 2010. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa) Press article Includes Photo 29-4-2008 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 Report30-6-2009 Families of missing persons in Nepal: a study of their needsThe present report sums up the findings of extensive research on the needs of families of missing persons in Nepal. It has been carried out by an external consultant familiar with the matter and the particular context of Nepal, under contract to the ICRC. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Nepal) Report Includes PDF Video Collection12-5-2010 Haiti: the search for Saïda After the earthquake thousands of families began searching for their loved ones, unsure whether they were dead or alive. When 9 year old Saïda was dug out of the rubble, she was taken to a hospital in the capital Port-au-Prince and then transferred for further treatment in Guadeloupe. But her mother, Salvanie did not know that her daughter had left the country. In desperation she contacted the ICRC for help. Saïda was tracked down staying with a host family in Guadeloupe and finally made the journey home to her family. (Info resources\Video\The Americas) Video Collection Includes Video 28-1-2010 Haiti: earthquake survivors reconnect In Haiti, thousands of people live in anguish, unsure whether their relatives are buried under the rubble or alive and unable to communicate. In the first two weeks following the earthquake, Red Cross tracing teams offered over 2,000 phone calls to survivors in the largest camps in Port-au-Prince, so they could get in touch with relatives abroad. Over 3,000 people have posted a "safe and well" message on a special website (www.icrc.org/familylinks), while 22,000 persons are listed as unaccounted for. (Info resources\Video) Video Collection Includes Video More in this section1-6-2010 The International Tracing Service and the ICRC Since 1955 the ICRC manages the International Tracing Service (ITS) in Bad Arolsen which traces Nazi victims and their families. The ITS documents their fate and makes its archives available for research. (About the ICRC\History\Second World War) Includes Photo 1-3-2010 Tracing offices of recognized Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies(About the ICRC\Contacts) 21-2-2008 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 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) 15-7-2002 History of the Central Tracing Agency of the ICRC(ICRC Activities\Protection\Restoring family links) Other site1-1-2010 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  |
