ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Abrarul Haq has said that losing contact with a loved one is an unimaginable pain.

“Under the trace the face initiative of Restoring Family Links (RFL), Family Links Network has reconnected more than 245 families who had been separated along the migratory route to Europe. PRCS operates with a mission to alleviate human suffering, and we make it a priority to respond to the RFL needs of separated families,” he said while commenting on the International Families Conference held this month.

The conference was organised by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Central Tracing Agency in collaboration with the red crescent societies around the world.

PRCS and ICRC facilitated families from across Pakistan to attend the local conference hub at the PRCS national headquarters.

In Pakistan, the PRCS and ICRC work closely with red cross and red crescent societies throughout the world under the RFL programme to help people separated from their families or without news of them following natural disasters, international migration, emergencies as well as in other situations of humanitarian need.

The event provided families and practitioners the space to connect with a global support network, to share their experiences, and to inspire each other to take effective action for themselves, families and wider community.

The conference took place in a hybrid format, and featured online and face-to-face sessions, panel discussions, and live-streamed debates. Families from Pakistan participated in the conference and shared their experiences.

Speaking to the families at the conference, Dragana Kojic, head of the ICRC’s delegation in Pakistan, said, “I cannot imagine the magnitude of your grief. The ICRC and PRCS remain invested in the project of restoring family links, and it is my deepest hope that we are able to convey good news to you and help you reconnect with your loved ones.”

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2021