The pain of uncertainty still haunts families in Cyprus, five decades after the island was divided. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Cypriot diplomat Rona Panteli called the issue of missing persons a “human tragedy” that continues to affect the country.

Speaking in New York, she accused Turkey of failing to cooperate fully with efforts to locate those still unaccounted for since the 1974 events. Around half of the missing, including civilians, women and children, remain unidentified.

Panteli urged for immediate and unrestricted access to military zones in the north, calling it a legal and moral obligation. She also warned against any attempt to politicise the matter, insisting it is a purely humanitarian issue.

She noted that Cyprus has increased its funding to the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) to €4 million, reaffirming the government’s commitment to finding answers.

Meanwhile, UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Türk highlighted the global rise in forced disappearances, with 56,000 new cases recorded in 2024, the highest in 20 years. He described the agony of waiting for answers as one of the most “torturous experiences,” affecting families worldwide.

Türk called for urgent action to strengthen legal protections and ensure justice. He stressed that many families still lack the truth, while impunity remains widespread.

“The wound will not heal until every missing person is accounted for,” Panteli concluded.