The Office of Missing Persons (OMP) has requested the government to seek international expertise to recover bodies buried in landslides and to trace persons reported missing following the Cyclone Ditwah disaster, an OMP commissioner said.
OMP Commissioner Mirak Raheem told the Sunday Times that the office had urged the government to request assistance from international teams specialising in the recovery of remains following landslides, so that affected families would be able to perform funeral rites with due dignity.
While noting that individuals who go missing as a result of natural disasters fall outside the formal mandate of the OMP, Commissioner Raheem said the office had nevertheless emphasised the importance of prioritising the search for those missing due to Cyclone Ditwah, drawing on its experience in working with families of the missing and disappeared.
Mr. Raheem also highlighted the ongoing humanitarian efforts of a rapid response team from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is engaged in recovering the remains of individuals reported missing in the disaster.
The UAE rapid team, comprising personnel from the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence, has been involved in search and rescue operations in the worst-affected areas, in addition to delivering urgent relief supplies, including essential food items and emergency shelter materials, to displaced families.
Meanwhile, the Registrar General’s Department has initiated the process of issuing death certificates to the families of missing persons in disaster-affected areas, following a new gazette notification outlining the relevant procedure.
Under this process, a family member of a missing person may submit an affidavit through the relevant Grama Sevaka informing authorities of the disappearance. The affidavit will then be displayed publicly for two weeks to allow for any objections. After this period, the relevant Zonal Registrar offices will be instructed to issue death certificates to affected families upon presentation of a recommendation from the Divisional Secretary and supporting documentation from the Coroner.
According to the department, at least 126 death certificates have been issued to date for individuals reported missing as a result of the landslides.
