ICRC Registers Over 284,000 Missing Persons Globally, Raises Concern Over Nigeria
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has registered more than 284,000 missing persons worldwide as a result of disasters and armed conflicts—a figure the organization describes as only a fraction of the actual number of people unaccounted for.
According to the ICRC, the figure represents only documented cases within its Family Links Network as of the end of 2024, underscoring the scale of the humanitarian challenge posed by conflicts, disasters, and migration globally.
The ICRC identified armed conflicts, disasters, and migration as the main drivers of disappearances across communities worldwide.
Read Also:
Over 24,000 Nigerians Declared Missing, ICRC Reveals
In Nigeria, the organization expressed concern over the fate of 23,659 missing persons linked to armed conflicts. Benson Lee, Family Links Officer of the ICRC, disclosed this during the commemoration of the 2025 International Day of the Disappeared held in Yola at the weekend, describing the figures as deeply disturbing.
Lee revealed that no fewer than 13,595 families are still searching for their loved ones across Nigeria. She added that 59 percent of those missing were minors at the time of their disappearance, while 67 percent of the cases were recorded in Borno State.
“Behind each missing person is a family living in anguish and uncertainty, struggling with the pain of not knowing what happened to their loved ones,” she said.
Lee explained that the commemoration of the International Day of the Disappeared seeks to promote empathy by highlighting the devastating impact of missing persons on families and communities.
Meanwhile, the United Nations, alongside organizations such as the ICRC and the Syrian Network for Human Rights, is working to address the issue through legal commitments, improved search mechanisms, and support for victims and their families.
