GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — More than a quarter of a million people are registered as missing by the Red Cross, a figure up nearly 70 per cent over five years, the organisation said Friday.

The increase is being driven by growing numbers of conflicts, mass migration and fading respect for the rules of war, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement.

“From Sudan to Ukraine, from Syria to Colombia, the trend is clear: the surging number of missing persons provides a stark reminder that conflict parties and those who support them are failing to protect people during war,” said ICRC Director-General Pierre Krahenbuhl.

Some 284,400 people were registered as missing by the ICRC’s Family Links Network at the end of 2024 — an increase of 68 per cent since 2019, according to numbers released on Friday.

Krahenbuhl cautioned that that figure is “only the tip of the iceberg”.

“Worldwide, millions of people have been separated from their loved ones — often for years or even decades,” he said.

“The tragedy of the missing is not inevitable. With stronger measures to prevent separation, protect those in detention and properly manage the dead, countless families could be spared a lifetime of anguish.

“Behind every number is a mother, father, child or sibling whose absence leaves a wound that statistics cannot capture.”

The ICRC stressed that states and parties to armed conflicts bear the primary responsibility to prevent disappearances, clarify the fate of missing people and provide support to families.

“How states respond to missing persons cases can shape societies long after violence ends, influencing peace-building, reconciliation and the ability of communities to heal,” it said.

It emphasised that when parties respect international humanitarian law, “the risk of people going missing is reduced”.

The rules of war include, for instance, a duty to avoid separating family members during the transfer or evacuation of civilians by an occupying power.

And they stipulate that parties must share information about detainees in a timely manner and enable them to maintain contact with relatives.

“The obligation to account for deceased enemy combatants likewise ensures that their fate is known to the families and they are not registered as missing,” it said.

The ICRC considers someone as missing from the point that a family member registers the case, until it is closed by the Red Cross or if families report they have found their relative.

The ICRC said that last year, more than 16,000 people were located, and more than 7,000 were reunited with their families.

Nearly 90,500 Red Cross messages were delivered, and close to 2.3 million phone calls were facilitated.

“Everyone has the right to know the fate of their loved ones,” the humanitarian organisation said.