ICRC: Hundreds of Families Lost Contact with Loved Ones in Sudan

Port Sudan, Sudanhorizon

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has announced that thousands of Sudanese families have lost contact with their loved ones and that they could not locate their whereabouts after they were displaced out of their home Ares by the ongoing war that erupted in the country since April last year
The ICRC has pointed out in a press release on the occasion of the visit by its president Mirjana Spoljaric that the ICRC and the Sudanese Red Crescent Society teams have been receiving hundreds of messages, emails, and phone calls each week from people looking for their loved ones and that the ICRC has registered over 3000 requests from persons looking for their loved ones since the outbreak of the war in April 2023.
The ICRC president has pointed out in the press release issued at the end of her visit to Sudan on Wednesday during which she met with senior Sudanese government officials that the aim of the visit to Sudan focused on advancing efforts to address the critical situation faced by millions of Sudanese.
She maintained that the humanitarian crisis in Sudan is first and foremost stemming from the disrespect of the laws of war. She said over eight million people have been displaced due to the fighting. They lack access to the most basic services and thousands of them have lost contact with their families. The consequences of the conflict could last for decades if no action is taken urgently.
It is to be noted that ICRC President Spoljaric met with Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the President of the Sovereign Council of Sudan who briefed her about a number of observations the Sudan has about the performance of the ICRC field workers during the current war.
The statement has meanwhile said she stressed the need for closer cooperation to preserve the security and safety of humanitarian actors to reach vulnerable communities in conflict-affected areas.
She has also stressed, the release said, that the neutral humanitarian action must be protected without exception to avoid a further worsening of the situation. It is the responsibility of all parties to the conflict to create and maintain this space, and it is their obligation under international humanitarian law to ensure the civilian population has access to relief.
She also met with Mr. Salih El Douma and Mrs. Aida Elsayed, respectively President and Secretary-General of the Sudan Red Crescent Society (SRCS) at the SRCS headquarters in Port Sudan