Syria鈥檚 Stolen Children
How hundreds of children were held in global donation-supported orphanages by the sanctioned Assad regime in order to extort their relatives and why many have never been found.
This investigative documentary follows the journey of Reem al-Kari to find her son, Karim, one of 3700 children who went missing during Syria鈥檚 civil war from 2011 to 2024. Along the way she finds out how hundreds of children were held in orphanages by the regime in order to extort their relatives and why many have never been found. Orphanages supported by global donations, but used as prisons by the sanctioned Assad regime. And how little the current government is doing to support parents like her trying to find and reunite families.
Syria鈥檚 Stolen Children is part of a joint project with Lighthouse Reports, The Observer, SIRAJ, Der Spiegel, Trouw, and Women Who Won the War.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour decided not to respond to our team鈥檚 request for comment.
The Assad family did not respond to our request to comment.
Filmed and directed by Jess Kelly
Produced by Haya Al Badarneh
Assistant Producer is Hajar Chaffag
More episodes
Previous
You are at the first episode
