Radio 4 Appeal

On Sunday 8 November, the UK pauses to remember those lost to war.

And that morning, award-winning war correspondent and author Fergal Keane takes three minutes to speak movingly to the nation on behalf of ECC about why remembrance has real importance.

Listen on BBC Radio 4:

• Live – Sunday 8th Nov, 07:56 and 22:56
• Live – Thursday 12th Nov, 12:30
• Afterwards – on BBC Sounds

Donate to the appeal via the BBC website from:

• 00:00 am Sunday 8th Nov, to
• 11:59 pm Saturday 14th Nov

OR donate via the form on this page now, it all goes towards the appeal

The same day, a new edition of our unique Memorial Project goes online, with the stories of individual people killed by armed violence during 2025, as told to us by the loved ones they left behind.

All times are in GMT.

Casualty recording is the process of documenting, identifying and recognising the individual human cost of armed violence.

By systematically investigating and documenting the details of each death or fatal incident, casualty recorders restore and preserve the identity of each person killed.

In most war zones, official efforts to document the civilian dead are limited at best.

So, the task of preserving the names of the dead often falls to brave, ordinary people. Journalists, activists, and family members gather evidence to identify each victim. Working with limited resources and at great personal risk, they are driven by a determination to ensure that the dead will not simply vanish from history. ECC is the the unique global organisation which supports them.

Why record casualties?

Casualty records are vital.

They enable families to discover the fate of their loved ones, and to have their loss recognised. They provide evidence for war crimes tribunals. They identify the causes of unintended harm to civilians, so these can be avoided in future. They help aid workers know what help is needed, where. They identify patterns of violence which can predict a crisis. They tell societies the truth about their history.