Women bear a large part of the burden in the tragedy of the missing, as most often it is the breadwinning male head of the household that disappears. Wives and mothers are left to support their families with little means, and those without family and community support systems face a life of poverty. In most contexts, there is no official acknowledgement of the status of the missing person, and thus families are not entitled to the support from which widows or orphans might benefit. The ICRC’s assistance activities target people that are left most vulnerable as a result of disappearances, and thus female-headed households and orphans are first priority.