By International Committee of the Red Cross | Created at 2024-09-30 12:26:57 | Updated at 2024-10-07 04:28:24
6 days ago
“Waiting is just one word, yet it is full of despair and pain. I have been waiting since the first day of the war, and I will never stop waiting because I will only start living again when the most precious person in my life – my son, Tigran – returns home,” said Liana Arzumanyan, mother of a missing person.
To commemorate the International Day of the Disappeared, an exhibition entitled Silent Presence: The Stories of Waiting and Yearning was organized in Armenia on 29 August by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The inaugural edition of the exhibition was held in 2023 in the Armavir region following a suggestion from local families with missing loved ones. This year, the exhibition was held in Vanadzor city to bring attention to the anguish and struggles faced by families in the Lori region, who continue to cope with the uncertainty of what happened to their loved ones who went missing in connection with the conflict escalations of 2020–2023.
The search for the missing is a difficult, sensitive and sometimes lengthy process. But the difficulties of the search pale in comparison to the painful waiting and anguish which the families of missing people endure every day․
Valerii Yarmak ICRC deputy protection coordinator
Shot by renowned photographer Eric Grigorian, the series of 14 profoundly personal and powerful photographs depicted the stories of families of missing people from the Lori region. The photos gave an insight into their physical, mental and emotional anguish of living every day with the constant uncertainty of not knowing what happened to their loved ones and the never-ending wait and search for any answers.
The exhibition was also a poignant reminder of hope, resilience and the unwavering spirit of the families in the face of grave adversity and personal suffering.
“It’s difficult to put our feelings of longing into words. Others cannot truly see or comprehend the depth of the yearning in our hearts. But dear mothers, do not lose hope. When the joyous day finally comes and our sons return, we will once again hold them close and hear those cherished words – "My dear mom" – from the sons we've missed so deeply,” said Marine Poghosyan, mother of a missing person.
Through the exhibition, the families were able to reflect on and share their experiences of coping with the enduring challenges of their disrupted lives where every day is the day of the disappeared. The exhibition highlighted the importance of community support and helped them realize that waiting and yearning for their missing loved ones is a shared experience and that they are not alone in their suffering.
In the region affected by the Karabakh conflict, more than 5,000 people, including military personnel and civilians, have been reported missing since the 1990s. As a neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organization whose exclusively humanitarian mandate is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence, the ICRC remains committed to supporting the families and the authorities to clarify the fate of the missing people.
