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.
Yes, comes the reply.
The hairline… the man muses. There is a similarity but… His voice trails off, revealing the enormity of the search that remains before them.
Lahan Al Hayat is one of several childcare facilities that were used to hold the children of detained parents during the Syrian civil war. Instead of re-homing these children with relatives, they were held in orphanages, often recorded as orphans or having their identities changed, making them exceedingly difficult to trace.
With the sudden collapse of Assad's regime, journalists, activists, and families are gaining access to sources and documents previously blocked. Collaborative investigative efforts have developed a database of 323 children hidden by the regime across orphanages. Among the findings, one notable organization has come under scrutiny: SOS Children's Villages International, which operates in over 130 countries and garners significant funding, including from international bodies.
Whistleblowers from the organization reveal that many senior positions in Syria were appointed directly by Assad's palace. This has raised serious concerns regarding the integrity of the charity, claiming that they began taking in any child regardless of their circumstances for financial incentives.
While SOS has denied formal ties with the Assad regime, the evidence collected indicates that during the years of the regime's brutality, the charity inadequately secured its processes, leading to the wrongful separation of children and their families.
Parents continue to seek answers about their missing children; however, many face bureaucratic barriers and inadequate support. Reem's tireless journey is paralleled by many others like Omama Ghbeis, who, having been reunited with her daughters taken by SOS Syria, expressed her outrage towards the charity's handling of her children, including the unauthorized changes to their identities.
The systemic issues entrenched by forced separations and failures of oversight within SOS have sparked a growing call for accountability. Families are left to navigate a frightening landscape of uncertainty where many children remain unaccounted for. Despite discussions of new investigations, tangible support and clear resolutions for affected families remain glaringly absent.
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.
Yes, comes the reply.
The hairline… the man muses. There is a similarity but… His voice trails off, revealing the enormity of the search that remains before them.
Lahan Al Hayat is one of several childcare facilities that were used to hold the children of detained parents during the Syrian civil war. Instead of re-homing these children with relatives, they were held in orphanages, often recorded as orphans or having their identities changed, making them exceedingly difficult to trace.
With the sudden collapse of Assad's regime, journalists, activists, and families are gaining access to sources and documents previously blocked. Collaborative investigative efforts have developed a database of 323 children hidden by the regime across orphanages. Among the findings, one notable organization has come under scrutiny: SOS Children's Villages International, which operates in over 130 countries and garners significant funding, including from international bodies.
Whistleblowers from the organization reveal that many senior positions in Syria were appointed directly by Assad's palace. This has raised serious concerns regarding the integrity of the charity, claiming that they began taking in any child regardless of their circumstances for financial incentives.
While SOS has denied formal ties with the Assad regime, the evidence collected indicates that during the years of the regime's brutality, the charity inadequately secured its processes, leading to the wrongful separation of children and their families.
Parents continue to seek answers about their missing children; however, many face bureaucratic barriers and inadequate support. Reem's tireless journey is paralleled by many others like Omama Ghbeis, who, having been reunited with her daughters taken by SOS Syria, expressed her outrage towards the charity's handling of her children, including the unauthorized changes to their identities.
The systemic issues entrenched by forced separations and failures of oversight within SOS have sparked a growing call for accountability. Families are left to navigate a frightening landscape of uncertainty where many children remain unaccounted for. Despite discussions of new investigations, tangible support and clear resolutions for affected families remain glaringly absent.
