THE country head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expressed dismay on the continued captivity of Italian colleague Eugenio Vagni, 62, by the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf Group for 160 days.

Jean Daniel Tauxe, head of delegation of the ICRC in the Philippines, said the agency has continued to work for the release of Vagni, an Italian, but their efforts have remained futile since there has been no information on his whereabouts.

The ICRC is hosting a week-long photo exhibit titled “Our World—At War” which features the appalling conditions in all the war-stricken countries in the world.

The exhibit at SM Mall of Asia also highlights the vital role of ICRC in its efforts to address the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) amid armed violence in Liberia, Congo, Afghanistan, Lebanon and the Southern Philippines.

“We have appealed for very long, and we still appeal, for sure, not only his [Vagni] release but for all the hostages,” Tauxe said at the launching of the photo exhibit. “We are trying everything to negotiate for his release,” Tauxe added.