Women Who Won the War Co-Launches Groundbreaking Cross-Border Investigation: Syria’s Stolen Children
During Bashar al-Assad’s rule, arrests targeted not only dissidents and defectors but also their children, with hundreds transferred into a network of orphanages to pressure their families into cooperation. Some of these facilities were run by the European charity SOS Children’s Villages, whose leadership knew for years and stayed silent.
Despite the regime’s fall in December 2024, the release of thousands of detainees, and the discovery of several mass graves, many families still have no answers about the fate of their children and relatives. Syria remains one of the countries with the largest numbers of missing persons in the world.
Despite the regime’s fall in December 2024, the release of thousands of detainees, and the discovery of several mass graves, many families still have no answers about the fate of their children and relatives. Syria remains one of the countries with the largest numbers of missing persons in the world.
“Syria’s Stolen Children” is a cross-border investigation produced by Lighthouse Reports in collaboration with several global and Syrian media outlets:
BBC Eye, Women Who Won the War, The Observer, Der Spiegel, Siraj, and Trouw.\
Through this collaboration, the investigation’s findings will be reported via a documentary film, television news coverage, written investigations, social media posts, as well as podcasts and radio segments, reaching a global audience in up to 35 languages, including Arabic, English, German, and Dutch.
Mais Katt, editor-in-chief of Women Who Won the War, together with Bashar Deeb, digital investigator at Lighthouse Reports, published the original Arabic version on Al-Jumhuriya website.
Women Who Won the War produced a three-episode investigative podcast, reported and researched by Mais Katt and Bashar Deeb, hosted by Mais Katt and Salim Salameh.
Mais Katt, editor-in-chief of Women Who Won the War, together with Bashar Deeb, digital investigator at Lighthouse Reports, published the original Arabic version on Al-Jumhuriya website.
Women Who Won the War produced a three-episode investigative podcast, reported and researched by Mais Katt and Bashar Deeb, hosted by Mais Katt and Salim Salameh.
We decided to join the families in their search for justice and truth, gathering contact information for parents and relatives from open sources and through our own networks. Guided by trauma experts on how to interview families experiencing what is known as “ambiguous loss,”.
We spoke to the families of 54 children placed in orphanages by the security services, as well as dozens of others still searching for their missing children.
We compiled information on each of the 320 cases through interviews and documents, which we used to analyze key patterns in how and why the regime hid children in orphanages.
Western Charity Colluded with the Syrian Regime
The largest number of children we documented were sent to orphanages run by SOS Children’s Villages International, an Austria-based charity operating in over 130 countries and raising €1.6 billion annually from the UN, European governments, and private donors.
We compiled information on each of the 320 cases through interviews and documents, which we used to analyze key patterns in how and why the regime hid children in orphanages.
Western Charity Colluded with the Syrian Regime
The largest number of children we documented were sent to orphanages run by SOS Children’s Villages International, an Austria-based charity operating in over 130 countries and raising €1.6 billion annually from the UN, European governments, and private donors.
The organization’s leaders kept the issue quiet until the regime fell, despite whistleblowers warning them seven years earlier, and never apologized, compensated, or supported the families. A senior staff member said the top executives “didn’t want to know the details and avoided taking any concrete action or responsibility.” Most of the children were returned to government custody, and SOS says it still does not know what happened to them.
CO-PUBLICATIONS
The Observer: How a western charity helped the Syrian regime abduct children
Trouw: Onder Assad werden honderden kinderen in weeshuizen geplaatst.
Al-Jumhuriya: The Orphanage That Hid Us: Children in the Grip of Syrian Intelligence
Der Spiegel: The dark role of SOS Children’s Villages in Syria
Sowt: When Children are Arrested: The Secret Files of Forced Separation
BBC Eye: Syria’s Stolen Children: How Assad used a global charity to disappear kids
The Observer: How a western charity helped the Syrian regime abduct children
Trouw: Onder Assad werden honderden kinderen in weeshuizen geplaatst.
Al-Jumhuriya: The Orphanage That Hid Us: Children in the Grip of Syrian Intelligence
Der Spiegel: The dark role of SOS Children’s Villages in Syria
Sowt: When Children are Arrested: The Secret Files of Forced Separation
BBC Eye: Syria’s Stolen Children: How Assad used a global charity to disappear kids
Credits:
Mais Katt, Bashar Deeb, Monica C. Camacho, Charlotte Alfred, Julia Steers, Tessa Pang, Lynzy Billing, Saleem Salameh, Bara’a Al-Ma’any, Jess Kelly, Haya Al Badarneh, Hajar Chaffag, Rosie Garthwaite, Mohannad Alkhalil Alnajjar, Juliane von Mittelstaedt, Ahmed Haj Hamdo, Ali Al Ibrahim, Manar Rachwani, Mohammed Bassiki, Wael Qarssifi, Mawada Kallas, Hanin Alsayed, Osama Alkhalaf, Isabel Bolle, Alaa Sheikh Hassan, Zein Khuzam
Mais Katt, Bashar Deeb, Monica C. Camacho, Charlotte Alfred, Julia Steers, Tessa Pang, Lynzy Billing, Saleem Salameh, Bara’a Al-Ma’any, Jess Kelly, Haya Al Badarneh, Hajar Chaffag, Rosie Garthwaite, Mohannad Alkhalil Alnajjar, Juliane von Mittelstaedt, Ahmed Haj Hamdo, Ali Al Ibrahim, Manar Rachwani, Mohammed Bassiki, Wael Qarssifi, Mawada Kallas, Hanin Alsayed, Osama Alkhalaf, Isabel Bolle, Alaa Sheikh Hassan, Zein Khuzam