August 30, the International Day of the Disappeared, is another opportunity to draw public attention to the issues faced by missing persons and their families, and to share the endless longing and waiting of the families.
Every year on this day, mainly taking into account the wishes of the families, we gather to confirm that the Red Cross is always next to these families.
This year, the Armenian Red Cross Society and the International Committee of the Red Cross, at the initiative of the families of those missing as a result of the escalation of the Karabakh conflict in 2020, organized "The Silent Presence. Stories of Waiting and Yearning" photo exhibition. In the photos of the famous photographer Areg Balayan and the texts accompanying them, there were messages from families to their lost relatives and their owned items. The event was followed by classical music performance.
The Armenian Red Cross Society, with the support of the ICRC, also organized various events for the families of missing persons from Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Ararat, Armavir, Gegharkunik, Tavush, Lori and Shirak regions. Families visited to the monuments of the missing persons, parks, went on pilgrimages or organized tree planting.
