Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 30) — While government troopers are rallying to liberate the war-torn city of Marawi from the ISIS-inspired terrorist group Maute, some affected Maranaos are still searching for their missing loved ones.
As the 100th day of the Marawi crisis coincides with the International Day of the Disappeared, humanitarian organization Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) launched an online page that helps trace missing persons.
Camilla Matteucci, head of the ICRC team working with the PRC on the search efforts, said on Wednesday that many reasons could have caused separation in such conflict situations.
“People could be trapped by the fighting, detained, or even killed. They could be in an evacuation centre but not have the means to contact their kin,” Matteucci said in a statement.
She added their website allows people to share information about missing persons and request for the ICRC and PRC’s help in tracing them.
“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,” Matteucci said.
In a statement, ICRC said the tracing website would supplement other on-site services such as the 12 welfare desks in evacuation centers in Marawi and Iligan.
According to the statement, “since the beginning of the Marawi conflict, the Red Cross has received 402 tracing requests, 179 of which are still being looked into.”
It added that the PRC has also provided psychosocial support to over 10,400 people affected by the conflict.
The Marawi crisis, which started on May 23, has led to the death of 45 civilians, 614 terrorists, and 133 government troopers as of August 28, said Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella.
