Alarming Reports of Child Disappearances Linked to Global Charity in Syria

Tue Sep 23 2025 07:42:55 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

An investigation reveals that SOS Children's Villages International has been implicated in the disappearance of thousands of children under the Assad regime, with harrowing stories from affected families coming to light. As mothers search for their missing children, questions arise about the charity's role in the Syrian conflict.

A recent investigation uncovered the potential complicity of SOS Children's Villages International in the forced separation of children from their families during the Syrian civil war. Families recount their harrowing experiences, while the charity's management under the Assad regime raises concerns about accountability and transparency. The return of missing children remains uncertain, with many mothers still searching for answers.

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 of the Assad dictatorship 10 months ago. He would now be 15.

The search for Karim leads Reem to Lahan Al Hayat, a children's shelter linked to the regime. Investigative work from various media has identified a network of orphanages where children, including those of political detainees, were held and often misidentified. In an unfortunate twist, the Austrian charity, SOS Children's Villages International, has emerged as the largest operator of these orphanages.

Upon the regime's collapse, journalists and activists have begun to dive into the records, revealing a disturbing pattern where children were taken from their families without proper documentation. The SOS charity, which operates worldwide and has a significant annual budget, has been repeatedly accused of accepting children without stringent protocols.

Former SOS employees have revealed that the organization was influenced directly by the Assad government, with allegations of prioritizing funding over child welfare and family reunification. Reports indicate that children were often recorded as orphans and even had their identities changed, making it extremely difficult for families to reclaim them.

Interviews with affected families have also unveiled a culture of secrecy and deception within SOS, where complaints were reportedly ignored, and connections to the authoritarian regime were downplayed. The families, yearning for closure, detail their ongoing struggles to find their lost children amidst bureaucratic hurdles and systemic neglect.

As Reem continues her desperate search for Karim, many mothers remain in the dark, still grappling with the painful uncertainty of their children's fate in a post-Assad era.