UN urges Iraq, Kuwait to intensify search for 315 people missing since 1990 invasion
- Senior UN representative says excavation site in Iraq may hold remains of up to 180 missing Kuwaitis, calls for progress on return of seized property
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- Senior UN representative says excavation site in Iraq may hold remains of up to 180 missing Kuwaitis, calls for progress on return of seized property
By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - The UN on Monday urged Iraq and Kuwait to accelerate efforts to determine the fate of 315 people still missing following Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, as investigators continue searching burial sites believed to contain their remains.
"More than thirty-five years after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, this humanitarian file remains unresolved," Senior UN Representative Mari Yamashita told a Security Council meeting.
Yamashita said the fate of only 290 of the original 605 missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals had been clarified over the past three decades.
Of the 315 people still missing, 308 are Kuwaiti nationals, she said, adding that the last confirmed identification took place in August 2023.
She said extensive efforts have been undertaken to locate the missing, including excavations at suspected burial sites across Iraq, particularly in the south of the country.
Yamashita said Iraqi authorities have excavated approximately 14,000 trenches at the Khamisiyah site and conducted numerous field missions to other locations of interest.
Khamisiyah remains a priority because investigators believe it may contain the remains of 150 to 180 missing Kuwaiti nationals, potentially accounting for roughly half of the unresolved cases.
In September, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Iraqi authorities conducted a joint field mission to the site.
Yamashita expressed hope that the findings would lead to further excavation work as soon as possible.
- Kuwaiti archives, property remain missing
The UN representative also highlighted the unresolved issue of Kuwaiti property taken during Iraq's invasion, including the country's national archives.
Although some materials have been returned, progress has been "limited," she said.
Items were transferred to the Kuwait National Library in 2019 and the country's Ministry of Information in 2022, while additional books and microfilm recordings were returned in 2025.
Yamashita called for a "clear pathway" to identify and locate the remaining property, suggesting that a proposed Joint Iraq-Kuwait Committee could provide a framework for regular dialogue and cooperation.
She also welcomed a recent meeting between Kuwait's crown prince and Iraq's prime minister on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where the two countries announced a working group to address outstanding bilateral issues.
"Such engagements remain important in sustaining the constructive environment needed to advance the humanitarian objectives of this mandate, to strengthen mutual confidence, and to support continued cooperation in the future," she said.
Diyar Güldoğan