Amman, Nov. 17 (Petra) -- The seventh Regional Conference of Restoring Family Links Network for the Near and Middle East opened in Amman on Monday.
Hosted by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation and Jordan National Red Crescent Society, the three-day event brought together representatives of 11 Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Qatar. Delegates from ICRC missions and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) Societies across the region are also attending.
In a statement, the ICRC said the Family Links Network serves as a vital platform for cooperation across the components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, working to preserve family unity and assist people who have lost contact with their loved ones due to conflict, natural disasters or migration.
Through the global Restoring Family Links network, the Movement’s components work together to reconnect separated family members and support them during difficult times, including providing administrative assistance and referrals to relevant authorities, it added. The ICRC noted it has been reuniting families since 1859.
The conference will see participants exchanging expertise, best practices and lessons learned in addressing the humanitarian needs of separated families, missing persons, the deceased and their relatives.
They will also work to strengthen regional cooperation, reaffirming their shared humanitarian commitment to alleviating suffering by those separated from loved ones or uncertain about the fate of a relative.
//Petra// NQ
