Pakistan has requested that the UN Security Council expedite the process of identifying Kuwaiti nationals who have been missing since the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Delegates at the meeting reached a consensus on the pressing need to determine the fate of both Kuwaiti citizens and third-country nationals.
The group also agreed that returning remains to families and recovering Kuwaiti property must be prioritised. Usman Jadoon, the Pakistani delegate, noted that it is a matter of concern that no new identifications were made during the reporting period.
Jadoon acknowledged the disappointment regarding the lack of progress while noting the technical complexities of a search spanning several decades. The ambassador stated that efforts to locate and return missing Kuwaiti property, including the national archives, must likewise remain a priority.
A total of 315 individuals remain missing, which includes 308 people from Kuwait. August 2023 marked the last time an identity was confirmed.
Workers undertook excavations of 14,000 trenches at the Khamisiyah site. Ms. Yamashita said that new witnesses are increasingly difficult to identify and added, "We are running out of time."
Yamashita stated that the Government of Iraq was not able to secure his participation. The Pakistani delegate remarked, "For families who have waited decades to learn the fate of their loved ones, every credible lead holds renewed hope."
