ICRC seeks to reunite 900 children with their parents

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has published photographs of 900 Rwandan children who had become separated from their parents since the 1994 genocide in the country. An official told IRIN on Thursday that ICRC planned to reunite the children with their parents.

ICRC's communications coordinator, Pascal Jequier, said that among the 900 were children who had been repatriated from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo, and were unable to provide the information required to trace their families.

The children became separated from their parents in 1994 and during subsequent insurgency between 1997-1998.

"Parents who have been separated from their very young children since 1997 are asked to consult this new album," Jequier said.

The photographs have been distributed to all communes in the country to enable parents to identify their missing children.

ICRC Information Officer Domice Gasarabwe said that since 1996, the organisation had published photographs who were only aged under seven. However, the latest photographs include those of older children who are victims of trauma or those who had suffered psychological complications.

One of the principle activities of the ICRC in Rwanda since 1994 has been the re-establishment of links between separated families and non-accompanied children.

"The publication of these photo albums has proved to be an efficient means of tracing the non-accompanied children," Gasarabwe said.

Since the genocide, at least 70,000 children have been reunited with their families with the ICRC playing a crucial role.