ICRC: 28 members of family missing in Nagorno-Karabakh war

Baku. 30 August. REPORT.AZ/ “The ceasefire agreement reached 23 years ago has frozen not only the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but also the time for the families whose relatives went missing. The International Committee of the Red Cross continues to help clarify the fate of the close ones of those families.”

Report was informed in the press service of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The Committee said that addressing the commemoration ceremony in connection with the International Day of the Disappeared on August 30, ICRC regional representative on work with the missing persons Daniel Messerli noted that

Speaking at an event to mark the International Day of the Disappeared (30 August), Daniel Messerli, the ICRC’s delegate in charge of tracing missing people in the region, said, “Whether it’s civilians or combatants who have gone missing in armed conflicts, disappearances hit all families hard. It can be even more difficult to cope with than the death of a loved one.”

Asli Mammadova is closely familiar with this situation. Twenty-eight members of her family have gone missing due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “Living with missing family members is more complicated than accepting the death of those people.” Every single day, I live with the hope to get news.”

According to information, the ICRC also strives to address the psychological needs of the families of missing people. In 2012, the Baku delegation launched the Accompaniment Programme, which provided psychosocial support to more than 3,000 relatives of missing people. In addition, 103 community members were trained as “accompaniers”, who facilitate family-support groups, and 15 people were trained as coordinators.