WHAT TO DO IF A PERSON GOES MISSING DURING THE WAR?
Use all communication channels
Try to contact the missing person in all possible ways: by phone, messengers, or SMS. If there is no response, reach out to their friends, family, colleagues, etc.
Seek help from friends and local volunteers
If family members or friends living in the same city as the missing person also failed to contact the person, you can try to visit their place of residence and other places where the person is likely to be. If the person has no friends or relatives in the city, you can ask for help among volunteers.
Important note: Think about your safety and the safety of the missing person first. Do not share all the person’s data and be sure to double-check people who are supposed to visit them.
Try to combine efforts
If you see similar reports of missing people in the same city, try to organize into a small group. This often helps to speed up the search and find missing persons in a matter of days. It is also important to keep in touch with the people helping to search.
Contact the responsible state authorities
The Office for Missing Persons in Special Circumstances advises reporting to the responsible authorities as follows:
· Contact the National Police to report a missing person. Take a DNA test, if necessary.
· Contact the National Information Bureau at the hotline number 16-48. The government keeps a record of missing persons during the war, and the data about that person will be added to the database for further search.
· Contact the Office for Missing Persons in Special Circumstances at 0800339247.
Use additional resources
In case all the previous steps did not help to find the missing person, you can contact non-profit initiatives that provide assistance in searching for missing persons.
· Telegram channel Poshuk znyklykh ("Finding Missing Persons")
· Telegram chatbot Znaity ridnykh ("Find the close ones")
· SARVA organization
· The Child Search Service Facebook page
You have found the missing person. What to do next?
· Ask the person how they are feeling and what they need. Also find out where they are and whether they need immediate help.
· Provide the missing person with the contacts of local volunteers. If the missing person has stayed in the city but wants to evacuate, share the latest information on evacuation routes.
· Try to keep in touch with the person.
· Inform the services you used to find the person about the person’s whereabouts. This will significantly facilitate their work.
Important things to know about safety
· Do not publicly disclose information about the location or possible location of a missing person.
· This information should only be shared with trusted volunteers or search groups.
· Check the people who help with the search. You should not reject help, but it is important to ensure you get help from reliable people.
· Do not put yourself in danger. Do not go to active war zones alone to search for a missing person. It is better to engage people in that city.
· Check the relevance of the information and resources you use.