The ICRC invited families of the missing persons to commemorate the International Day of the Disappeared.
ICRC
Mekelle, Ethiopia
Around 50 families from the most affected areas during the conflict in the Northern Eastern part of Ethiopia, Tigray, attended the event.
ICRC
Mekelle, Ethiopia
Most of the participants were women whose husbands disappeared during the 1998 - 2000 Eritrea - Ethiopian conflict. Their fates of their husbands' remain unknown.
ICRC
Mekelle, Ethiopia
The ICRC submitted to both the Ethiopian and Eritrean authorities a list of missing persons in 2005 and 2015 but the families are still waiting for an answer from the respective authorities.
ICRC
Mekelle, Ethiopia
Most of the families have been supported with micro economic initiatives (MEI) to improve their dire economic situation following the disappearance of the breadwinner in the majority of the cases.
ICRC
Mekelle, Ethiopia
The ICRC has been supporting families that were separated during the conflict by restoring family links.
ICRC
Mekelle, Ethiopia
The video "A Life On Hold" was shown alongside a Tigregna language translation.
ICRC
Mekelle, Ethiopia
The event closed with a traditional coffee ceremony.
Following the 1998-2000 conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, families on both sides were separated from their loved ones.
Since then, the ICRC has been working to alleviate the suffering of these families in both countries. In Ethiopia, for instance, the ICRC is supporting the families by tracing their family members and engaging with authorities. Moreover, the ICRC provides financial and psycho-social support to these families which have very often become single-households.
Hence, every year, on the occasion of the International Day of the Disappeared, the ICRC facilitates a meeting for the concerned families to give them an opportunity to express and exchange their feelings and emotions. One such event took place this year in Mekelle on August 30th, with close to 40 participants from the northern region of Tigray, in the presence of local officials.
