ICRC: Over 11,000 People Registered Missing in Sudan War as Red Cross Holds Confidential Talks With Warring Parties

The International Committee of the Red Cross said on September 7, 2026 that it has records of more than 11,000 active missing-person cases in Sudan, over 9,000 of them opened since fighting broke out in April 2023 — a roughly 40% increase over the past year. ICRC spokesperson Farid al-Hamid said the agency's tracing operations clarified the fate and whereabouts of 613 registered missing individuals in the first half of 2026 alone, and that reports indicate more than 20,000 bodies have been recovered and buried in Khartoum without formal records, leaving families with no certainty over the fate of relatives. The ICRC said it helped restore contact between more than 38,500 separated family members and is holding confidential bilateral talks with all warring factions to press for adherence to the laws of war and civilian protection, amid reports that 70-80% of health facilities in conflict zones are non-functional.