August 30 is the International Day of the Disappeared, which aims to draw public attention to the issues faced by missing persons and their families.

Following the 44-day Artsakh War of 2020, the relatives of missing servicemen have been waiting for years. The mother of Karine Manavazyan, one of the missing servicemen from the “Chemists’ Military Unit” in Etchmiadzin, has been waiting for her son’s return for six years.

“I have left everything to God; I simply do not know when our children will return,” she says, noting that she no longer has any expectations from the work of state institutions.

The International Committee of the Red Cross continues to support the families of missing persons by maintaining contact with relatives and providing psychosocial and economic assistance. The organization also cooperates with state institutions to clarify the fate of missing persons and prevent future disappearances.

An association has also been established at the initiative of the parents of missing persons. According to their data, the number of missing persons, including those missing from previous wars, has reached approximately 1,000. For their families, years of waiting continue to be a difficult journey of uncertainty and hope.