Tens of thousands of African children are missing

Some 25,000 children are estimated to be missing in Africa, the International Committee of the Red Cross announced as a poignant reminder on the International Day of the Disappeared.

The figure represents 40% of the total number of missing people on the continent, ICRC says.

It expressed concern that the disappearance of children put them at greater risks of exploitation, violence and mental stress.

The ICRC says the number of missing people in Africa is on the rise, reaching 64,000 this year.

The causes include armed conflicts, dangerous migration and detentions.

The organisation says it has recorded more than 5,000 cases of unaccompanied children in Africa. But last year it helped reunite more than 1,200 families.

The International Day of the Disappeared is marked annually across the world to draw attention to the fate of missing people and those being detained or held under poor conditions unknown to their families.