Libya Marks International Day of the Disappeared Amid Ongoing Search for Thousands

Libya Marks International Day of the Disappeared Amid Ongoing Search for Thousands
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Libya observed the International Day of the Disappeared on August 30, as families across the country continue to search for over 7,145 documented missing persons. These cases span more than a decade and include victims of armed conflict since 2011, mass graves uncovered in Tarhuna, drowning incidents involving migrants, and the 2023 Derna flood disaster.

According to Kamal Al-Seiwi, head of the General Authority for Search and Identification of Missing Persons, the Derna flood alone accounts for over 3,300 of the missing—nearly half of the national total. He noted that the authority is actively working on four major case files and has established a national DNA database since 2021.

The database includes over 19,000 samples from relatives of the missing and is used to identify recovered bodies from mass graves and natural disasters. Efforts have led to the identification of more than 100 bodies from the Bir al-Sattah cemetery in Tripoli and dozens more in Tarhuna.

Despite progress, thousands of Libyan families continue to live in uncertainty, describing the ongoing disappearance crisis as an “unhealed wound.” Authorities aim to create accurate records to support justice efforts and restore dignity to victims and their families.