The Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) has expressed its `sincere thanks` to the Republic of Cyprus for its donation of EUR 265,000 made on Tuesday.
A CMP press release says that in addition to the yearly contribution of EUR 125,000, it includes EUR 140,000 in funding for archive research.
`This allocation brings the Republic of Cyprus’ financial assistance to the CMP to a total of EUR 2,800,700 since 2005` it adds.
CMP says that this donation to the CMP Project on the Exhumation, Identification and Return of Remains of Missing Persons in Cyprus will contribute to the Committee’s goal of identifying and returning as many remains of missing individuals as possible in order to bring an end to the uncertainty which has affected so many families for so many years.
So far, 832 missing persons from both communities have been identified and returned to their families for a dignified burial.
The CMP relies on donor support to alleviate the suffering of families of missing persons, the press release concludes.
Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. Hundreds of Greek Cypriots went missing during the invasion, while scores of Turkish Cypriots went missing in the early 1960s and during the summer of 1974. The remains of many of them have been located, identified and returned to the next of kin for a decent burial. Many more are still missing and their fate is unaccounted for.
