Reem al-Kari and her cousin Lama are searching through dozens of photos of children spread out on a desk. Lama thinks she spots one with a likeness to Karim, Reem's missing son. Karim was two-and-a-half when he and his father disappeared, in 2013 during Syria's civil war, as they ran an errand. He is one of more than 3,700 children still missing since the fall, 10 months ago, of the Assad dictatorship. He would now be 15.
'Are his eyes green?' asks the man behind the desk, the new manager of Lahan Al Hayat, a Syrian-run children's shelter which former first lady Asma al-Assad helped establish in 2013. The task is enormous.
Lahan Al Hayat is one of several Syrian childcare facilities used to hold children of detained parents during the civil war. Instead of being rehomed with relatives, these children were held in orphanages and used as political pawns. Many were falsely recorded as orphans, making tracing them nearly impossible.
The article reveals the operation of SOS Children's Villages International, which ran orphanages taking in children under dubious circumstances. Claims from whistleblowers suggest high-ranking SOS personnel were appointed by the Assad regime, and some children previously identified as orphans were simply taken for more funding.
Mothers like Reem are left hunting for their children, and many investigations reveal that SOS has often failed to protect children's best interests, complicating the search for families. The piece further explores the implications of systemic failures within international charities operating in conflict zones, raising serious questions about humanitarian accountability.
'Are his eyes green?' asks the man behind the desk, the new manager of Lahan Al Hayat, a Syrian-run children's shelter which former first lady Asma al-Assad helped establish in 2013. The task is enormous.
Lahan Al Hayat is one of several Syrian childcare facilities used to hold children of detained parents during the civil war. Instead of being rehomed with relatives, these children were held in orphanages and used as political pawns. Many were falsely recorded as orphans, making tracing them nearly impossible.
The article reveals the operation of SOS Children's Villages International, which ran orphanages taking in children under dubious circumstances. Claims from whistleblowers suggest high-ranking SOS personnel were appointed by the Assad regime, and some children previously identified as orphans were simply taken for more funding.
Mothers like Reem are left hunting for their children, and many investigations reveal that SOS has often failed to protect children's best interests, complicating the search for families. The piece further explores the implications of systemic failures within international charities operating in conflict zones, raising serious questions about humanitarian accountability.
