Bosnia and Herzegovina Intensifies Search for 7,566 Missing Persons

A roundtable was held in Neum to discuss finding missing persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Institute for Missing Persons (INO) BiH organized it with UN support. Families of missing persons, state officials, and international representatives attended. Minister Sevlid Hurtić emphasized that finding missing persons is a vital humanitarian issue. He called on all institutions to help families and locate those still missing.

Midheta Kaloper from the Advisory Board opened the meeting. Its goal was to assess past efforts and set priorities, especially for families facing daily challenges. Nikola Perišić of INO BiH reported that 7,566 victims are still missing, many from serious war crimes. He noted that nearly 80% have been found. Despite this, he stressed the ongoing need to continue. Perišić urged families who identified loved ones through older methods to provide blood samples. This could help identify more victims and bring comfort to other families. Many unidentified bodies are still in morgues.

All participants agreed that more progress requires joint work, open information sharing, and full cooperation. They also concluded that INO investigators need better working conditions and modern technology to find grave sites.