By KUNA,
Geneva : As the number of people missing following Japan’s earthquake continues to grow, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish have been added to the Japanese and English lists of missing people.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) together with its worldwide Red Cross and Red Crescent partners launced a website (www.
familylinks.icrc.org) to assist people anxious for news about loved ones in the disaster area.
“An initial survey carried out in conjunction with the Japanese Red Cross Society revealed that large numbers of foreigners, in particular Brazilians, Chileans and Peruvians, were living in the areas affected by the disaster,” explained Olivier Dubois, deputy head of the ICRC’s Central Tracing Agency and Protection Division. “Hence our decision to make the website available in various languages, including Portuguese and Spanish.” People in Japan and abroad can register on the website to inform their family and friends that they are safe and provide their current contact details, while those looking for people can check the list for information. They can also register the names of missing family members and friends, encouraging them to get in touch.
This humanitarian service, free of charge and available to all, is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s response to the magnitude 8.9 earthquake that hit north-east Japan on 11 March, triggering a tsunami and causing extensive loss of life.