DARAMSUQ (DAMASCUS) — A government-appointed committee investigating the fate of children born to, or separated from, detainees and the forcibly disappeared in Syria announced on Monday that it has helped reunite 150 children with their families, while identifying a total of 314 cases so far.
The findings were presented at a news conference held at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor in Daramsuq, where the committee outlined the results of six months of work focused on children who lost contact with their parents during the years of repression under the former regime.
The head of the committee, Dr. Raghda Zeidan, said the panel’s core mandate is to trace children of detainees and forcibly disappeared persons who were placed in state-run care facilities over the past decade. According to Dr. Zeidan, investigators have confirmed that 314 children were housed in such institutions, and that follow-up efforts have led to the return of 150 of them to their families. The fate of another 50 children, she added, remains under investigation.
Dr. Zeidan stressed that the committee’s work does not encompass all missing children in Syria. Its mandate is limited to cases in which official documentation shows that children were placed in care centers overseen by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.
She explained that the investigation relies on several parallel tracks, including the collection of official records and personal data, the preparation of detailed questionnaires in coordination with families, and the formation of a volunteer team tasked with monitoring the conditions of children after their reunification. The committee has also been compiling and documenting records from care institutions dating from 2011 to 2024.
In addition, Dr. Zeidan announced the launch of two dedicated hotlines to allow families to submit information and inquiries. The committee, she said, is also pursuing legal avenues by providing judicial follow-up and legal counseling to affected children and their relatives. In closing, she emphasized that the committee would continue to advocate for missing children through coordination with international organizations and by creating dedicated social media platforms for families, with the aim of expanding the search and increasing the chances of locating all children whose whereabouts remain unknown.
The issue of children separated from detained or disappeared parents remains one of the most sensitive legacies of Syria’s war, raising unresolved questions about accountability, documentation and the long-term impact on families fractured by years of violence.