Geneva: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned of an alarming rise in the number of missing persons worldwide, as armed conflicts and forced displacements intensify across regions. According to the ICRC’s latest data, the number of people officially registered as missing soared from 169,500 in 2019 to nearly 284,400 by the end of 2024 a staggering 70 percent increase in just five years.
The Red Cross attributed this surge to protracted and multiplying crises, with countries such as Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine emerging as key hotspots driving disappearances. Families often lose contact during sudden displacements, mass migrations, or when loved ones are detained without proper registration. Officials cautioned that the official numbers likely represent only a fraction of the true scale of the tragedy, as many cases go unreported.
Pierre Krähenbühl, Director General of the ICRC, expressed deep concern over the weakening adherence to international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions, which safeguard civilians in times of war. “We must reinforce preventive mechanisms that ensure detainees are properly accounted for, that families are not separated, and that the deceased are treated with dignity,” Krähenbühl stressed, noting that failure to do so condemns families to decades of uncertainty and grief.
Despite the grim statistics, the ICRC highlighted pockets of progress. In the past year alone, around 16,000 missing persons were successfully located and reunited with their families, thanks to efforts coordinated through the ICRC’s Family Links Network and the Central Tracing Agency. These reunifications, though small compared to the overall crisis, represent a vital lifeline of hope for families otherwise left in anguish.
The Red Cross underscored that the global community is “witnessing a historic moment,” where the rising scale of disappearances has become a silent humanitarian catastrophe. As conflicts spread and displacement worsens, the organization urged governments and warring parties alike to respect international norms and to work towards reducing the mounting toll of those who vanish in war.