Nearly a year after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Syrians are still piecing together what they lost during the war. That includes finding answers about children who were taken by the state.
According to a new investigation from The Observer, the Syrian state abducted hundreds of children during the war. The children were used as a tool of control to break their parents for intelligence.
Reporter Lynzy Billing joins us.
“We acknowledge that some children were forcibly separated from their families by authorities and placed into SOS Children’s Villages programmes in Syria without proper documentation, and their families were not informed. This should never have happened. We recognize the pain and uncertainty this has caused and express our sincere concern and solidarity with the affected families.
“The situation in Syria during the war was extremely complex and repressive, with humanitarian access dependent on cooperation with the authorities. Speaking out publicly at that time could have jeopardized the safety of children, staff, and essential services for thousands of families. Nevertheless, families always had the right to know where their children were, and we are currently investigating why this was not upheld in every case.
“Once the full scope of the issue became clear in 2018, SOS Children’s Villages took decisive action to stop undocumented placements, strengthen oversight, and initiate family tracing and reunification efforts. Leadership changes have since been made, and governance and safeguarding standards at SOS Children’s Villages Syria have been reinforced. Two independent international investigations are underway to clarify the facts and ensure transparency and accountability, and we are fully cooperating with these processes.
“Across our global SOS Children’s Villages federation, we are strengthening systems of safeguarding and accountability to build on reforms already in place. We are determined to learn from this to prevent anything like it from happening again. Our commitment is unwavering – to truth, transparency, and support for affected families.
“For more information, please refer to our public statement.”
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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