ICRC reports over 11,000 missing amid worsening humanitarian crisis.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Tuesday that more than 11,000 individuals have been reported missing since the outbreak of the civil war that has raged in the country for the past two years. The figure, compiled from reports submitted by families, local authorities and aid agencies, represents the most comprehensive accounting of disappearances to date and underscores the growing humanitarian crisis as combatants continue to clash across the north‑central provinces.

Founded in 1863 and based in Geneva, the ICRC is a three‑time Nobel Peace Prize laureate that has become synonymous with the development and enforcement of the modern laws of war. Its core mission is to protect and assist victims of armed conflict, a mandate derived from the four 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005. These treaties obligate signatory states to safeguard the wounded, the sick, shipwrecked combatants, prisoners of war and civilians, and they give the ICRC exclusive authority to monitor compliance, negotiate access to detainees, and promote the humane treatment of all persons affected by hostilities.

Under the conventions, the ICRC’s remit extends to both international and non‑international (internal) armed conflicts. In civil wars, the organization works with the recognized government as well as with armed non‑state groups that have declared themselves parties to the conflict, urging them to adhere to the same standards of conduct. The ICRC’s activities range from tracing families of the missing and facilitating the exchange of information about detainees, to delivering medical supplies and supporting the establishment of temporary shelters for displaced civilians. Its neutral and impartial stance is designed to foster cooperation from all sides, even when trust is low and fighting intensifies.

In the current war, both the government forces and the rebel coalition have publicly denied responsibility for the bulk of the disappearances, each accusing the other of clandestine abductions and unlawful detention. The government has pledged to cooperate with the ICRC, citing its obligations under the Geneva Conventions, but independent observers note that access to certain contested zones remains restricted, hampering verification efforts. Rebel leaders, meanwhile, claim that many of the missing are civilians who fled combat zones and have been unable to register with aid agencies, a narrative that the ICRC finds difficult to substantiate without on‑the‑ground verification. The resulting impasse has left families in a state of prolonged uncertainty, with the ICRC urging both parties to share any information they hold and to allow unhindered tracing activities.

The scale of the missing‑person crisis has broader implications for regional stability and for states such as Taiwan that are closely linked to international humanitarian norms. Taiwan, while not a party to the Geneva Conventions, participates in global disaster‑response networks and contributes medical teams to multinational relief operations. The erosion of compliance with humanitarian law in a neighboring conflict raises the risk of refugee spill‑overs, disrupts cross‑border trade routes, and could create a precedent for the normalization of forced disappearances in other contested areas of Asia. By supporting the ICRC’s work—through funding, technical expertise or diplomatic advocacy—Taiwan can help reinforce the legal framework that underpins the protection of civilians, thereby contributing to a more predictable security environment and safeguarding its own humanitarian and economic interests in the region.