Red Cross: New Zealand nurse abducted in Syria may still be alive

A New Zealand nurse kidnapped in Syria more than five years ago may still be alive, the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) has said, revealing her identity for the first time in an attempt to secure her release.

Louisa Akavi was snatched along with Syrian drivers Alaa Rajab and Nabil Bakdounes while traveling in a Red Cross convoy delivering supplies to Idlib, in the northwest of the country.

Armed men stopped their convoy on October 13, 2013, and abducted seven people, four of whom were released the following day.

The ICRC said it believed they were abducted by ISIS.

"Our latest credible information indicates that Louisa was alive in late 2018," the group said Sunday in a statement from Geneva.

"The ICRC has never been able to learn more details about Alaa and Nabil, and their fate is not known."

“We are speaking out today to recognize Louisa’s, Alaa’s and Nabil’s hardship and suffering and to call for any information that could provide more leads into their whereabouts and wellbeing,” said Dominik Stillhart, director of operations for the ICRC.

"Louisa is a true and compassionate humanitarian. Alaa and Nabil were committed colleagues and an integral part of our aid deliveries.

Akavi had carried out 17 field missions with the ICRC and the New Zealand Red Cross, the statement said. Rajab and Bakdounes were "dedicated husbands and caring fathers", it added.

A spokesman for Akavi's family, Tuaine Robati, said she knew the dangers she faced.

"She's been through tough times in her job before but she's stuck at it because she loves it," he said.

"Louisa is an incredibly experienced nurse and aid worker who knew the risks of her job. Our family misses her very much and is concerned for her safety."

The war in Syria, which began in 2011, has claimed more than 370,000 lives and forced millions of people to flee their homes.

The Kurdish-led SDF, backed by a US-led coalition, captured the last IS bastion in eastern Syria on March 23 and had detained thousands of suspected IS fighters.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights accuses IS of abducting thousands of people since 2014.