“Over one hundred cases of missing persons were clarified in 2025. Tragically, the fate of nearly 10,000 people remains unknown since the conflict in the 1990s,” said Ariane Bauer. “The Serbian authorities, working in cooperation with others in the region, have a key role and responsibility to accelerate progress on this critical issue. Through collective action and the support of the Red Cross of Serbia, families and communities can begin the process of closure,” she added.
Between 2018 and 2025, the ICRC has worked in partnership with the authorities across the region to identify and develop new pathways to improve progress on clarifying the fate of the missing from the 1990s conflict.
The ICRC has been working in Serbia since 1991. It continues to support the authorities in their efforts to clarify the fate of the missing and promotes knowledge and respect of international humanitarian law. The ICRC also supports the Red Cross of Serbia to enhance its preparedness to respond to crises and address the needs of vulnerable communities in Serbia.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
For more information, please contact:
Maja Sikimic, ICRC Belgrade, tel +381 11 2285545 email: msikimic@icrc.org
