The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partner South Sudan Red Cross have launched a five day family re-unification program.
“I am very excited they have come up with a program like this which will make people who were separated to see each others in the pictures. When I first saw the pictures it was of a joy for me,” said Nyabol Tut Thanypiny a citizen originally from Longuchuk county in Upper Nile State.
The family link snapshot program takes pictures of citizens in IDP camps who have been separated by conflict. The hope is that citizens from different camps will recognized lost relatives.
“If your photo is taken your relatives who are not aware that you are alive will get to know that you are alive,” said Wal Gony Lam, originally from Akobo.
IDP’s “see these photos and then given the chance to recognized any picture from the booklet,” said Saira Gulzar, a Family Links Delegate of the ICRC. Gulzar said that the information is verified and they are allowed to write letters to their lost relatives, and eventually call them.
Gulzar said the program began in April 2015, and pictures will soon be distributed acorss ICRC programs.
Correction: ICRC Family Links Delegate Saira Gulzar was initially misidentified in this article by a wrongly spelled name. It has been corrected.