Families of missing Marawi siege victims backed

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), a neutral and impartial humanitarian organization seeking to protect people affected by armed conflicts and provide them with assistance, has been supporting families of missing people linked to the Marawi conflict since 2017.

Families of people who went missing during the 2017 armed conflict in the so-called Marawi Siege’ in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, in Mindanao, are still reeling from the pain of losing contact with their loved ones.

They have had to deal with feelings of loss or sadness that they feel over the uncertainty and lack of information about their missing loved ones. Many of them have struggled financially, as their missing relatives were almost often the family breadwinners. 

Despite the challenges they face, families of missing people have found solace and strength in each other.  From then until 2023, the ICRC has supported over 250 families who have yet to clarify the fate and whereabouts of their missing kin.

One of the ways in which the ICRC has supported them is through the accompaniment program, a multidisciplinary program that aims to address the multifaceted consequences resulting from the absence of a loved one through peer-support groups, information sessions and individual support.  

The program has a mental health and psychosocial support component which offers emotional support to the families who have to deal with the lack of information surrounding their missing loved ones.

During the peer support sessions, the families learn to identify positive coping mechanisms and, if possible, acquire skills to provide basic psychological care. 

From 2017 to 2024, almost 410 individuals have benefitted from the accompaniment program.