Missing Family Member in Sudan? ICRC Sudan Might Help Find Them

If you lost contact with or are looking for a missing family member in Sudan? The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Sudan together with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) might be able to help find them.

The ICRC recently launched a helpline in Sudan where the public can call regarding their missing family member/s. The ICRC Restoring Family Link Helpline number is +249 900 907 832 and is available from Sunday to Thursday from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm.

Are you in Sudan and looking for a missing family member? Here is how you can find help. pic.twitter.com/a1Z8ObJD7H

— ICRC Sudan (@ICRC_Sudan) August 3, 2023

If you are outside of Sudan looking for a missing family member in Sudan, there are ICRC helplines in Egypt, Ethiopia, Chad, South Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR).

If you are in Egypt, you can contact the ICRC on +20 22 528 1548, +20 22 528 1540 or by email via cai_tracing_services@icrc.org. You can also contact the Egyptian Red Crescent on +20 11 445 560 02 or send an email to rlf@egyptianrc.org.

If you are in Ethiopia, you can contact the ICRC on +251 943 122 207 or by email via add_tracing_services@icrc.org. You can also contact the Ethiopian Red Cross on +251 912 348 367, +251 935 519 391 or send an email to mohamed.roba@redcrosseth.org or megersa.weyessa@redcrosseth.org.

If you are in Chad, you can contact the ICRC on +235 22 520 316 or by email via ndj_tracing_services@icrc.org. You can also contact the Chadian Red Cross on +235 63 444 064 or by email on rfl@croixrougedutchad.org.

If you are in South Sudan, you can contact the ICRC on +211 928 016 027, +211 912 180 112 or by email via jub_tracing_services@icrc.org. You can also contact the South Sudan Red Cross on +211 914 992 755, +211 922 821 552 or by email to info@ssredcross.org.

If you are in Central African Republic, you can contact the ICRC on +236 75 631 110, +236 72 730 288 or by email via bng_tracing_services@icrc.org.

The ICRC warns that finding a missing loved one may take time due to their teams working under very limited capacities due to the difficult security situation in Sudan.

Since the war broke out in Sudan on 15 April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the ICRC has been closely cooperating with the SRCS to deliver surgical supplies to hospitals, help collect and identify mortal remains, and improve access to clean water. The two organisations have also supported families who lost contact with their loved ones. In addition, the ICRC has maintained dialogue with all the parties to facilitate medical evacuations of wounded people and remind them of their obligations under the norms of international humanitarian law. 

In June 2023, the ICRC aided in the evacuation of more than 280 children and 70 caretakers from the Maygoma Orphanage from Khartoum to Wad Madani, El Gezira State.

The ICRC currently cannot evacuate residents of Sudan within or outside of the capital or the country. According to the ICRC:

“We have been working in the country for decades and that will not stop now. Our team has been present in Khartoum despite the security situation. We have temporarily relocated some of our staff within Sudan. Most of our colleagues in the country are Sudanese and are also living under very difficult conditions. We are urgently looking for ways to deploy additional personnel to provide emergency response in Khartoum and other regions of Sudan affected by fighting”.

If there is shelling in your area, the ICRC advises the following:

• If there is shelling, find lower ground to hide. Stay as far as possible from windows.

• Lie down, wrap your arms around your head, and cover your ears.

• Open your mouth to avoid internal injuries, it can reduce the impact of explosive waves on your body.

• Wait until the shooting is over before you move to a safer shelter.

• If you find strange metallic objects such as bullets and shells, please keep your distance and do not touch them. They can cause injury or even kill.

The fighting – concentrated in Khartoum and Darfur – between the RSF and the SAF has killed more than 3,900 people, according to the NGO ACLED, and has displaced more than 3.3 mn, according to the UN. At least 229 people are missing – locals and foreigners alike.

The ICRC has been present in Sudan since 1978 helping people affected by the conflict in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan, and promoting international humanitarian law (IHL). Their work, independently or in cooperation with SRCS, includes supporting hospitals and health facilities with equipment and supplies, working with local water authorities on improving people’s access to clean water, and supporting the authorities who provide rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. 

The ICRC Sudan provide displaced people in conflict-affected areas with emergency assistance, distribute seeds and tools to farmers, and vaccinate pastoralists’ livestock against disease. ICRC Sudan are helping families separated by conflict or displacement keep in touch.

For more information, visit icrc.org/en/sudan-conflict-get-help.

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