Epress.am News from Armenia
A five-day ICRC workshop starting today in Yerevan will identify the psychological, social, economic and legal needs of the families of missing persons and share best practices on how to meet those needs. The workshop brings together relatives of missing persons, psychologists and lawyers from local NGOs, representatives of the Council of the Families of Missing Combatants, the Ombudsman’s Office, the ICRC and the Armenian Red Cross Society.
“Uncertainty about the fate of relatives missing through armed conflict and internal violence is a harsh reality for countless families. All around the world, people are desperately trying to trace their missing parents, brothers, sisters, spouses and children. Families and communities who do not know whether someone is alive or dead are being deprived of closure and cannot move on from the violent events that have disrupted their lives,” said Melany Vonrospach, an ICRC protection delegate based in Yerevan.
“The workshop provides an excellent opportunity for us to understand the multidimensional nature of the missing persons problem,” said Armine Gmyur-Karapetyan, executive director of the Arevamanuk foundation for families and children. “I am confident that we will be able to use the knowledge and skills we acquire here in our work with the families of missing persons.”
The ICRC has long supported the Armenian authorities in their efforts to help the families of missing persons. The organization currently works with a group of Armenian experts who are drafting a law to protect the rights of missing persons and their families, reads a Dec. 6 press release issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).