In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, the Ukrainian Red Cross Tracing Service provides information, social, and humanitarian support to the families of missing persons

The Tracing Service periodically organises informational and social support events for the families of missing persons, advises on the key stages of the tracing process, analyses the needs of each family that applies, provides financial and humanitarian assistance to families from vulnerable groups, and makes referrals to the authorised tracing bodies.

In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian Red Cross Tracing Service has received 2,525 requests for missing persons, issued and submitted more than 640 tracing applications, organised informational and social support meetings for the families of missing persons, and held events for these families in cooperation with partner organisations. Volunteers have provided humanitarian aid to 81 families, and another 13 families were referred to specialists for legal and psychological assistance. Meetings with individuals released from captivity are also important, as they often express gratitude for the support their families received during the tracing process. One such example is a meeting with Yevhen, who was released from captivity and whose parents had been forced to relocate to Ivano-Frankivsk, where they sought help from the Ukrainian Red Cross.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainian families are living in two worlds as they search for their loved ones. One is a path of hope and faith, while the other is a life of despair, uncertainty, and helplessness due to the unknown. The task of our team is to support families whose loved ones have gone missing and help them navigate the difficult journey until they learn the fate of their loved ones.

To receive information on searching for missing persons and supporting their families, residents of the Ivano-Frankivsk region can contact the Ukrainian Red Cross Tracing Service at rfl.if@redcross.org.ua or by phone at +38 066 845 24 23 and +38 099 660 68 57.