Nepal: 800 people missing in armed conflict

Kathmandu, Feb 15: The names of more than 812 people, who went missing in the wake of the armed conflict in Nepal, have been published by the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC).

''Today, ICRC has the names of more than 800 people who remain unaccounted for following the armed conflict. Their families suffer intolerably as they don't have any idea of what happened to their loved ones,'' Ms Mary Werntz, Head of the ICRC delegation in Nepal said in a statement.

Ms Werntz said the ICRC prepared the list after having received information from the families of the missing people.

''While a majority of the missing people belong to the age group between 15 to 18 years, 70 others are above 50 years old,'' she said.

The statement said under the International Humanitarian Law, all parties to the conflict must take feasible measures to account for those reported missing as a result of the armed conflict.

More than 13,000 people died and thousands displaced during the 10-year-long insurgency since 1996.

The peace process began last year following the end of the autocratic rule of King Gyanendra.

UNI