International Day of the Disappeared

International Day of the Disappeared is observed annually on August 30 and serves a vital purpose—to draw attention to the plight of those who are detained or held in conditions unsuitable for life, cut off from contact with their families or legal representatives. These individuals are in urgent need of help and support.

History

International Day of the Disappeared was established by the Latin American Federation of Associations of Families of the Disappeared (FEDEFAM), a non-profit organization founded in 1981 in Costa Rica. It united activists working to raise awareness and fight against the widespread practice of abduction and forced disappearance in Latin America—a tragedy that, unfortunately, still persists today. On August 30, 2007, hundreds of people in the Philippines, including activists and relatives of the missing—those abducted or killed by security forces—took to the streets in protest.

Interesting Facts

Among many organizations working on behalf of the disappeared, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) holds a unique role. In certain situations, the ICRC is the only organization with access to detainees, allowing them to provide critical contact with families and monitor detainee treatment. For many affected families, the ICRC is their only source of information about the fate of their loved ones.

This is a key part of the ICRC’s mission, which extends to victims of natural disasters, armed conflict, and other emergencies. The ICRC searches for detainees, missing persons abroad, hospitalized individuals, and those who have died, leveraging the resources of 189 Red Cross societies worldwide. They advocate for the right of families to know what happened to their loved ones and provide psychological, social, legal, and financial support to those affected.

How to Take Part

You can support International Day of the Disappeared by:

• Donating to organizations that search for missing persons;
• Sharing information about missing persons on social media;
• Showing support and solidarity with the families of the disappeared.

When is International Day of the Disappeared in 2025?

International Day of the Disappeared is observed on August 30 each year.

Observations