The ICRC, Nepal Red Cross Society and Nepal Society of Families of Disappeared and Missing organized an interaction program in Kathmandu on Friday to mark the International Day of the Disappeared and expressed their hope that the recently formed Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons would respond to the families' needs and relieve their anguish."No efforts should be spared to provide answers to the families. To achieve this, it is necessary to document the cases, gather relevant information from suspected grave sites, consult the witnesses and conduct exhumations. It is the duty of every state to account for its citizens and inform the families," said Dragana Kojic, head of the ICRC delegation in Kathmandu.
"With no adequate provisions on conferring appropriate legal status to missing persons, their families face numerous difficulties in their everyday life, particularly in cases related to inheritance, citizenship, transfer or registration of land and obtaining loans," she added.
The families of disappeared persons lamented that the government has been ignoring their problems and they have been left to endure never-ending distress.
As per ICRC data, 3793 individuals went missing during Nepal's decade-long conflict from 1996 to 2006. Among them, 1344 are still unaccounted for.
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