Not knowing the fate of spouses, children, parents and siblings is the unbearable reality of numberless families in situations of armed conflict throughout the world. Families and indeed entire communities, not knowing whether their loved ones are alive or dead, are unable to turn the page, unable to put behind them the violent events that turned their lives upside down. These wounds continue to undermine relations between groups and nations, sometimes decades after the original events.

In accordance with the pledge it made at the 28th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in 2003, the ICRC has intensified its efforts to help families clarify the fate of their loved ones.