Myanmar: One priceless phone call keeps hope alive
Living on the outskirts of Sittwe Town in Rakhine State, Myanmar, where transport and communication networks have been severely disrupted since the resumption of hostilities, Daw Be Be has had to wait more than six months just to hear her grandson's voice on the phone and know that he is safe. "I longed to hear my grandson call me 'mom' like he used to when he was with me," she says.
The four-year-old boy and his mother – Daw Be Be's daughter – had left home to go to Malaysia in June 2023. "My daughter wanted to join her husband who was working in Malaysia. There was no news about them for more than a month and then I got the unfortunate news that my daughter was detained in a prison in the Ayeyarwaddy region. What was worse was that my 4-year-old grandson was not with her and his whereabouts were not known. I was extremely worried about him. He is just a child who cannot take care of himself; I wondered what he would do without his mother," shares Daw Be Be. Desperate to trace her grandson's whereabouts, she contacted humanitarian organizations working in the village for help and eventually in October 2023 connected with the International Committee of the Red Cross's (ICRC) team in Sittwe.
The Restoring Family Links (RFL) service of the ICRC helps trace missing and separated family members. They took Daw Be Be's request and started the search for the child. The RFL team helped Daw Be Be verify the prison where her daughter was being held; then they pursued their search for the child. After several weeks of efforts, the ICRC successfully located the little boy who was in a childcare centre in Pathein, Ayeyarwaddy region. The grandmother was overjoyed to hear that her grandson was alive and well, but now she desperately wanted to reestablish a direct contact with him. However, setting up a phone call with her grandson was another challenge that took more time.
"Since transport and communication networks have been severely disrupted amid the intense conflict in Rakhine, our team has been unable to physically or remotely access several areas to reach the affected people," says San Shwe Maung, an ICRC staff member in Sittwe office, adding that residents have been struggling to travel between townships or in and out of Rakhine State and have been facing difficulties in contacting their loved ones outside the state.
However, the ICRC team did not give up and managed to arrange a phone call for Daw Be Be to talk to her grandson in February 2024. Daw Be Be talks with excitement about the day she got to hear her grandson's voice. "I woke up earlier than usual that day and headed to town much ahead of time because I was so excited about being able to talk to him. When we got connected, I asked him if recognized me and he did," says 47-year-old Daw Be Be with joy. She adds that she is relieved that her grandson is safe and healthy.
Now all that I want is to bring him back home. I have requested the ICRC to help me again.
Unfortunately, due to the current situation in Rakhine state, the ICRC is not in a position to reunite the little boy with his grandmother for the time being. They could nonetheless set up a first phone call between the two, thanks to the support of the childcare facility, with the perspective of another call within the next three months.
"In 2023, our team in Rakhine has helped 142 families know the whereabouts of their missing loved ones through the Restoring Family Links service and became a source of hope for those who had lost contact with their family members. We help families separated by conflict or other forms of violence reconnect and we are ready to offer further support to vulnerable people despite the limitations we face," says San Shwe Maung.
In Myanmar and across the world, as per its mandate as a neutral, impartial and independent organization, the ICRC, together with the National Societies, works to help families reunite or stay in touch by clarifying the whereabouts of their missing loved ones. In 2023, we helped 314 families across the country trace the whereabouts of their loved ones.
*Name changed to protect identity.
