How is it possible to maintain ties of kinship with a paternal aunt whose whereabouts are unknown and with whom there is no way to communicate? And will a person be held accountable for the severance of kinship ties resulting from the actions of the father or from the inability to reach the kin?

Kinship ties are among the obligations of Islam, and severing them is a major prohibition. Allah has commanded their maintenance and warned against their severance. Whoever maintains kinship ties, Allah maintains ties with them, and whoever severs kinship ties, Allah severs ties with them. You are thanked for your effort in seeking out your relatives and maintaining ties with them, and you are excused for those you could not reach as long as you exerted your utmost effort, for Allah Almighty says: "Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity."