Nicosia: The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) has received a significant financial boost with a pound 380,000 contribution from the Republic of Cyprus. This latest donation elevates Cyprus' total financial assistance to the CMP to pound 4,772,700 since 2005.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the contribution is earmarked to support the CMP's operations in 2026, aiding its ongoing humanitarian mission to locate, identify, and return the remains of missing persons to their families. This work aims to provide closure to families who have endured the uncertainty of their loved ones' fates for decades.
Cyprus has faced division since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory, leaving the fate of hundreds of individuals unknown. In response to this ongoing issue, the CMP was established in April 1981 under the auspices of the United Nations through an agreement between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. This initiative followed a call from two UN General Assembly resolutions to create a mechanism for addressing the issue.
The CMP Project on the Exhumation, Identification, and Return of Remains of Missing Persons in Cyprus became operational in 2006, with the European Union as its primary financial supporter. To date, the project has successfully identified and returned the remains of 1,069 missing persons from both Cypriot communities to their families for dignified burials. The CMP's bi-communal project continues to rely on donor support to carry out its mission.