22,000 missing in Nigeria because of Boko Haram, Red Cross says

The jihadist uprising which started in 2009 has killed more than 27,000 people, displaced some 2 million, and spilled over into neighbouring countries

Some 60 per cent of those missing are children, meaning that thousands of parents do not know where their children are or even if they are alive

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Smouldering ashes and charred items are seen on the ground after an attack by Boko Haram fighters in northeast Nigeria. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:02pm, 12 Sep 2019Updated: 8:02pm, 12 Sep 2019

Nearly 22,000 people, mostly children, are missing as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria, the Red Cross said on Thursday.

The jihadist uprising which started in 2009 has killed more than 27,000 people, displaced some 2 million, and spilled over into neighbouring countries, sparking a dire humanitarian crisis.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement that the nearly 22,000 Nigerians constituted the highest number of missing persons registered with the organisation in any country.

Some 60 per cent of the total were minors at the time they went missing, meaning that thousands of parents do not know where their children are and if they are alive or dead, according to the Red Cross.

“Every parent’s worst nightmare is not knowing where their child is. This is the tragic reality for thousands of Nigerian parents, leaving them with the anguish of a constant search,” ICRC President Peter Maurer said at the end of a five-day visit to Nigeria.

A Nigerian soldier, with a rocket-propelled grenade, patrols on the outskirt of the town previously hit by insurgent attacks. Photo: AFP

“People have the right to know the fate of their loved ones, and more needs to be done to prevent families from being separated in the first place,” he said.