Imagine the distress of losing contact with your family and loved ones and the excitement of reuniting with them.
During National Missing Persons Week (3 - 9 August, 2008), our Tracing Service is joining non-government tracing organisations, community groups associated with families and friends of missing people, and police services around Australia to raise awareness of people who have lost contact with family, friends and loved ones.
A touching reunion
The story:
The Nipoe family were born in Liberia. The family is currently comprised of four generations, with the family headed in Australia by the matriarch and great grandmother, Kermah Nipoe, also known as 'Old Ma Kermah'. The family have had to flee civil war twice, in two different countries.
Part of the family arrived in Australia in January 2005, having survived an incredible journey.
Contact was lost with the other three adult children and the family had no news of them for the next 12 years that they lived in Ivory Coast, along with some 50,000 other Liberian refugees. In this video, some of the children are reunited with their family members.
Through the dedicated efforts of the Red Cross in 5 countries, 14 of the 16 missing family members have now been located. All 14 are safe and well, which sadly is not a typical outcome when Red Cross is searching for people feeling civil war.
The Red Cross tracing network is continuing its efforts to locate the remaining two missing family members.
Tracing enquiries
You can make an enquiry to the Australian Red Cross Tracing Service through our 'Contact us' page (select 'Tracing enquiries' in the contact drop-down box).
Success stories
Last year, Australian Red Cross handled 1110 cases for people desperate to restore family links. Read some of their remarkable stories.
Tracing service - your questions answered
The Australian Red Cross International Tracing and Refugee Service searches for people separated due to War, Conflict or Disaster. Find out more about how the service operates.
National Missing Persons Week website
Part of the Australian Federal Police website, this site contains campaign information, downloads and missing persons profiles.
'The Missing' - a major ICRC initiative
Action to resolve the problem of people unaccounted for as a result of armed conflict or internal violence and to assist their families.
