The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has said no fewer than 64,000 people disappeared across Africa, with Nigeria recording 25,000 missing persons. Including 14,000 children whose whereabouts remained unknown.
The Head of Delegation for Society in Nigeria,Yann Bonzon, disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen to commemorate the International Day of the Disappeared, observed every Aug. 30.
The statement was signed by Akpa Esther, spokeswoman for the Nigerian Red Cross in Abuja.
The statement read, “In Nigeria alone, over 25,000 people have been reported missing. Almost 14,000 or more than half of the missing are children.
“There are over 35 active armed conflicts in Africa today, thousands of people, including children, cross borders, the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in search of safety and a better life each year. Such movements often entail great risk, including the risk of disappearance.
“Sadly, the almost 14,000 children registered does not capture the full scope of this often-neglected and tragic humanitarian issue. There is no doubt that there are more children whose fate remains unknown.
“He added that during displacement, children faced risks such as exploitation, violence, mental distress and disappearance as many also ended up alone, with no news of their families’ whereabouts.
Bonzon said “the society has more than 5,200 documented cases of unaccompanied children in Africa.”
