Yemeni families’ search for missing loved ones hindered by new fighting

Hundreds of people have gone missing in Yemen, with families not knowing if they were killed in fighting or detained. Save Share Sanaa, Yemen –In 2020, 18-year-old Munif bid farewell to his family and left his home in Sanaa to fight with the Houthis on the front lines of Yemen’s civil war After six months, all of his comrades went back to their families, but Munif never returned home. More than six years have passed, and Munif’s family, who asked to use just his first name for security reasons, are still searching for answers about his fate. He is one of hundreds of people who have disappeared in Yemen since war broke out in September 2014, when the Houthis – an armed group also known as Ansar Allah (Arabic for Supporters of God) – captured the capital and forced the internationally-recognised government to flee south. “Ten other men from our village joined the front line on the Saudi-Yemen border. All of them came back. We asked them about my brother’s whereabouts, but none could tell us where he had gone,” said Mohammed, Munif’s brother. “A definite answer about his status would be a relief for the entire family.” There were hopes that a truce in 2022 between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Iran-aligned Houthis could help families begin their search for their missing loved ones. Since July this year, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has received more than 1,800 tracing requests from families looking for missing relatives in Yemen. But the resumption of fighting in July has halted this search for many families, who are trying to find out if loved ones have been detained, injured, killed, or simply lost in records, due to displacement or desertion. After careful consideration, Mohammed believes there are two possible outcomes for his brother, Munif. “He might have been hit by an air strike, leaving no trace of his body, or perhaps he was captured, and he remains in captivity,” Mohammed said. If Munif was killed in an explosion, finding a body part that could be identified would bring the family some relief. But the family is still hoping for the latter scenario, and that Munif is being held captive by government forces. “We would have accepted his death, adjusted to the loss, and forgotten my brother’s possible return. We just need to know what happened to him,” he said. “We have heard about some fighters who were believed to be dead, and their families accepted the news of their deaths and mourned them....