Investigating Child Disappearances Under the Assad Regime: The Silent Role of SOS Children's Villages
In the shadows of Syria's civil war, countless families continue to search for their lost children, many of whom vanished during the Assad regime. Each photo, each story, is a beacon of hope, yet also a haunting reminder of the unresolved trauma.
One poignant account features Reem al-Kari, who, with her cousin Lama, tirelessly sorts through photos of children in hopes of identifying her son Karim, who disappeared in 2013 at just two-and-a-half years old. Karim is among more than 3,700 children still listed as missing since the fall of the Assad dictatorship a few months ago.
These children have often been hidden away in institutions like Lahan Al Hayat, a facility established in part due to the influence of Asma al-Assad, the former first lady, raising grave questions about the charity's involvement in the regime's systematic practice of separating children from detained parents.
Through investigations conducted with various media outlets, it has been revealed that the Austria-headquartered charity SOS Children's Villages International played a significant role in this dark chapter. Whistleblowers and former employees allege that many senior members were appointed directly by the Assad regime, urging concerns about the legitimacy of children taken in during this period.
SOS International claims an internal review found that 140 children were admitted without proper documentation between 2013 and 2018, further complicating family reunification efforts. Despite their public commitments to safeguarding, many parents report slow or no responses from the organization when seeking information about their children.
For mothers like Reem and Omama Ghbeis, whose daughters were also taken in by another orphanage, the painful search for loved ones underscores the lengths they must go to navigate the bureaucracy of organizations intertwined with a regime known for human rights abuses. They faced obstacles at every turn: from halted investigations within the Social Affairs Ministry to denials of requests for information from SOS.
In May, the Syrian Ministry of Social Affairs announced plans for a new investigation into the fates of these children. Still, it lacks adequate resources and personnel, leaving families on the brink of despair.
Despite the growing scrutiny, SOS International asserts its commitment to progress and learning from past mistakes, even as many question the sincerity of these claims in light of their operational ties to a government characterized by terror and oppression. Families continue to cling to hope, yet the path to reunion remains obscured by a veil of uncertainty.
