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Tragic Disappearances: The Role of Charity Amid Syria’s Child Crisis

A chilling investigation reveals how a global charity has been linked to the separation and disappearance of children under the Assad regime during Syria's civil war, with heartbreaking stories from mothers still searching for their loved ones.

Source: bbc.co.uk1 min read
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Tragic Disappearances: The Role of Charity Amid Syria’s Child Crisis
Image via bbc.co.uk

In brief

In the aftermath of the Assad regime's downfall, a significant investigation has uncovered the involvement of SOS Children's Villages in the traumatic experiences of children separated from their families during the Syrian civil war. Whistleblowers and family accounts shed light on how this charity has been entangled in a painful legacy of over 3,700 missing children. Personal stories from mothers searching for their lost children illustrate the ongoing struggle for families seeking to reunite with their loved ones amid a lack of transparency and aid.

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. He is looking at one of the photos the women have picked out, comparing it to a photo of Karim aged two.

Analysis of records shows the organization running orphanages, providing political leverage, is SOS Children's Villages International. Whistleblower accounts and personal stories reveal a grim reality of children being misrepresented as orphans and subjected to systemic bureaucratic neglect.

SOS admitted to taking in 140 undocumented children between 2013 and 2018. Many were returned to Syrian authorities, leaving families in the dark about their whereabouts.

This investigation highlights the pressing need for accountability, with parents like Reem al-Kari calling for clarity regarding the fate of their children. Families missing loved ones continue to hunt for any information amid bureaucratic hurdles and institutional barriers, with many still grappling with the trauma of separation.

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