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Armed conflict and natural disaster leave millions of people around the globe in urgent need of humanitarian assistance every year. Adding to the physical losses, the confusion and chaos surrounding war and natural disasters often separates families when they need each other most. Tragically, when families and loved ones are separated by war or disaster, their suffering is greater. But, through the strength of the Red Cross Movement and the work of tracing volunteers at national societies around the world, including the American Red Cross, families reconnect.
Red Cross tracing services and Red Cross Messages help families locate each other, send communication and learn each other's fate. Often these services, which are conducted between people living in the United States and their relatives living in foreign countries, may be required for several years. From July 1, 2003 until June 30, 2004, the American Red Cross handled 913 new requests to locate people who had been separated by their relatives in the U.S. because of war, civil disturbances and refugee movements. Of these requests the American Red Cross successfully located 415 people separated from loved ones, with many cases still pending. We received 82 new cases that were either health and welfare requests or disaster welfare inquiries. The American Red Cross received 4354 Red Cross Messages to and from detainees, POWs, refugees, internally displaced persons and their relatives of which 61percent were related to the conflict in Liberia.
American Red Cross International Family Tracing Services accepts tracing cases and traces sought persons when:
- Families have been separated as a result of either armed conflict or disaster.
- As much as possible, families should have tried normal channels of communication before requesting Red Cross tracing services.
- The family member making the inquiry provides essential information on the sought person.
- The family member making the inquiry is a close family relative, who has been in direct contact with the sought person before the conflict or disaster occurred.
The American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center accepts tracing requests concerning European civilians separated from their family due to the events of World War II and its aftermath, 1933-1957.
What we will need to know to be able to help
About you:
- Your full name and address
- Your relationship to the person sought
- The reason for loss of contact
- The reason for your inquiry
About the person you are trying to trace:
- Full name
- Date and place of birth
- Nationality
- Last known address
- Date and circumstances of last news
The American Red Cross cannot accept requests when there is insufficient information to conduct a search; or when it is for genealogical research; or tracing regarding legal matters such as wills, child custody etc.; or the tracing of birth parents or third party requests.
To begin a search, call the Southern Tier Chapter, the critical link in your community to the vast network of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.