PHL Red Cross launches website to find persons missing in Marawi conflict

“With each day that the fighting continues, our hope diminishes. We praise Allah if my husband is still alive. But if he is dead, then we need to recover his remains so that we can bury him according to our religion and traditions. Every Maranao family looking for a loved one wishes for this.”

These were the words of Aisha (not her real name). Her husband went missing in Marawi City during the conflict between government forces and local terrorists, now in its 100th day.

Due to cases like this, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), together with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), on Wednesday launched an online page that would help trace missing persons in the war-torn area:

https://familylinks.icrc.org/Philippines

“People could be trapped by the fighting, detained or even killed. They could be in an evacuation center but not have the means to contact their kin. At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that families have a right to know what has happened to their loved ones, and wherever possible, be reunited with them," said Camilla Matteucci, head of the ICRC, in a news release, noting that there are many possible reasons for separation during conflict situation.

"Our tracing website offers a platform for people to share information about their missing relatives and request our help in tracing them," Matteucci added.

Since the start of the Marawi siege, the PRC has received 402 tracing requests. A total of 179 cases are still being looked into.

According to Matteucci, the website supplements existing tracing services such as the 12 PRC welfare desks in evacuation centers in the cities of Marawi and Iligan.

In Marawi, the ICRC and the PRC have been providing technical and material support to help the authorities manage dead bodies.

The PRC also has provided psychosocial support to more than 10,400 people, including children, affected by the conflict.

President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire Mindanao under martial law after ISIS-inspired Maute group attacked Marawi City on May 23.

As of August 28, a total of 133 soldiers and police have lost their lives in the firefights while 614 have been killed on the enemy side.

A total of 45 civilians have also perished while 1,728 have been rescued. — Anna Felicia Bajo/BM, GMA News