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Cyclone Idai: Website launched to help families find missing relatives

Pretoria (ICRC)—With over one million people affected by the devastating impacts of Cyclone Idai, many families in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi have been separated or lost contact with one another. In response, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has launched a dedicated digital platform in English and Portuguese to help people find their relatives.

"The agony of not knowing what happened to your loved one in a disaster like Cyclone Idai is indescribable," said Diane Araujo, an ICRC delegate deploying to Beira. "This website is a first step in offering families a central place where they can share and look for information about their missing loved ones."

The Restoring Family Links website allows people to report that they are alive or that a loved one is missing. More than 200 people, mostly from Mozambique and Zimbabwe, are currently registered on the site as missing. However, this number is likely to rise significantly once services are restored to the many communities without power and internet access.

The ICRC is working with the national Red Cross Societies of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe to increase the number of Red Cross personnel on the ground who can help register and search for missing people in affected areas. More Red Cross staff will be on the ground in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe in the coming days to set up systems that will help families find their missing relatives.

To search for a missing person or register that you are safe and well in English, please use the following link:

https://familylinks.icrc.org/cyclone-idai/en/Pages/Home.aspx

To search for a missing person or register that you are safe and well in Portuguese, please use the following link:

https://familylinks.icrc.org/cyclone-idai/pt/Pages/Home.aspx

For further information please contact:
Tendayi Sengwe, ICRC Pretoria, +276 64764446, tsengwe@icrc.org
Crystal Wells, ICRC Nairobi, +254 716 897 265, cwells@icrc.org