284,000 people were declared missing worldwide – Red Cross

The Red Cross International Committee (ICRC) said on Saturday that at least 284,000 people had been declared missing by their families around the world.

Head of Sub Delegation, ICRC Field Office Maiduguri, Diana Japaridza, revealed this at a meeting in unity and compassion to commemorate International Day which disappeared on Saturday in the Capital of the State of Borno.

He said: “The problem of missing persons is one of the most destroying and durable consequences of armed conflicts and other violence, disasters, and migration.

“Throughout the world, hundreds of thousands of people are missing, many have never returned and have never been heard again, making the family destroyed and look for answers.

“At the end of 2024, more than 284,000 people from all over the world were registered because they were lost with a family link network from the international red cross and the red crescent movement.

“In Nigeria, ICRC has registered around 24,000 active cases of missing people since 2014, when the conflict peaked.

“This number, the highest burden on ICRC in Africa, is likely to only represent a small portion of the total number of people lost in this country.

“More than half of them are children when they disappear.”

Also read: 24,000 Nigerians Missing Since 2015 – Red Cross

Japaridza added that the ICRC recognized the big impact of people missing people and families.

“This disturbs the fabric of society, hampering reconciliation, and hampering social and economic progress.

“The severity of this problem often falls on the shoulders of the family, who tirelessly look for answers throughout their lives.

“Today, many families are still alive in uncertainty, causing unspeakable suffering and suffering,” he said.