Thousands of people in Japan and elsewhere have lost contact with family members because of the earthquake and tsunami. The areas particularly affected are the prefectures of Miyagi, Fukushima, Tochigi and Ibaraki.

Geneva (ICRC) – Thousands of people in Japan and elsewhere have lost contact with family members because of the earthquake and tsunami. The areas particularly affected are the prefectures of Miyagi, Fukushima, Tochigi and Ibaraki.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), working closely with the Japanese Red Cross, has launched a special Family Links website (www.familylinks.icrc.org) to help people seeking to re-establish contact with family members and friends missing since the earthquake and tsunami.

People in Japan and abroad can register on the website to inform their family and friends that they are safe and provide their current contact details, while those looking for people can check the list for information. They can also register the names of missing family members and friends, encouraging them to get in touch.

The humanitarian service provided by the website is available to all and is free of charge. For more information on how to use the service, members of the public can contact their nearest Red Cross or Red Crescent office or visit www.familylinks.icrc.org

This is part of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement's response to the magnitude 8.9 earthquake that hit north-east Japan on 11 March, triggering a tsunami and causing extensive damage.

For further information, please contact:

Philippe Stoll, ICRC Geneva, +41 22 730 31 40 or +41 79 536 92 49

Hitomi Makabe, ICRC Tokyo, + 81 3 3437 7087

For general information on restoring family links, please visit:

For all information on the Red Cross / Red Crescent Movement's response to the massive earthquake in Japan, please go to the International Federation's website: