Nicosia:The government of Ireland has donated £30,000 to the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP).

According to Cyprus News Agency, the CMP expressed appreciation for this contribution, which was received on September 18, 2026. This donation increases Ireland's total financial support to the CMP since 2006 to £530,000.

The funds will aid the Committee's efforts in identifying and returning the remains of missing individuals to their families, addressing the prolonged uncertainty faced by relatives. The Committee on Missing Persons was established in April 1981 under the United Nations to facilitate cooperation between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, following directives from two UN General Assembly resolutions.

The CMP Project on the Exhumation, Identification, and Return of Remains of Missing Persons in Cyprus began operations in 2006, with the European Union as its primary financial supporter. To date, 1,085 missing persons from both communities have been identified and returned for proper burials.

The ongoing division in Cyprus, which began in 1974 when Turkish troops occupied 37% of the island, has left the fate of many individuals uncertain. The CMP's mission includes the exhumation, identification, and return of the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots who disappeared during the conflicts of 1963-1964 and 1974.

As of August 31, 2026, CMP statistics show that out of 2,002 missing persons, 1,719 have been exhumed and 1,082 identified. Among the Greek Cypriot missing persons, 765 have been identified, while 745 remain unaccounted for. Of the Turkish Cypriot missing, 317 have been identified, leaving 175 still missing.