The SOS Children’s Villages Syria Association is facing renewed scrutiny as investigations intensify into the fate of children who were forcibly disappeared from several of its affiliated care homes under the Assad regime.
Judicial authorities, government committees, and the organisation itself are now engaged in parallel efforts to uncover what happened to the missing children, a case that has triggered major internal upheavals, administrative suspensions, and a wide-ranging restructuring of the association.
According to judicial sources, more than 500 files of missing children remain open, with potential penalties for those implicated reaching up to 15 years in prison, alongside fines and dismissal from public positions.
A source from the special committee formed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour told our Arabic edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that investigations require “reviewing thousands of old files and interviewing dozens of children who survived disappearance,” stressing that “any piece of information, no matter how small, could be the key to returning a child to their family or uncovering the full truth.”
The committee—established under the direction of Minister Hind Qubawat—includes representatives from the Ministries of Social Affairs, Interior, Justice, and Religious Endowments, and operates “under direct instruction from the Public Prosecutor to pursue all those responsible and involved in the disappearance of children during the previous regime,” the source added.
The committee is also preparing an accurate database of the missing children, intended as an official reference for restoring rights and compensating families.
Amid these investigations, SOS Children’s Villages Syria has been reshaping its leadership structure.
On 1 May, the association announced the resignation of Samar Daaboul, former Chair of the Board, to “maintain neutrality” during the internal inquiry. On 29 July, the Board suspended the national director, Samer Khaddam, appointing Muhammad Fathi Al-Abbasi to take over until judicial investigations conclude. The decision was formally communicated to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour in Damascus.
The association says it is fully cooperating with the authorities. It has placed all documents and records at investigators’ disposal and, in coordination with the international SOS organisation, submitted in January an official request to the Public Prosecutor in Damascus to investigate the disappearance cases and determine the children’s fate.
This climate of legal and moral urgency has coincided with sweeping internal changes. The association recently informed most of its staff that their contracts were terminated, triggering widespread shock among employees. Former staff member Sawsan Al-Abd told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that dismissals came unexpectedly.
“I worked at the association for more than ten years, and we never expected to stop so suddenly. We watched the children grow up in front of us, and we know that many of them have nowhere else to go.”
Al-Abd added that many programmes depend on external donor funding and that “there are no local institutions capable of providing similar services,” warning that children relying on support for shelter, education, and healthcare—as well as low-income families—would be directly affected.
The administration maintains that the mass dismissals form part of a restructuring plan driven by the gradual withdrawal of a major donor. In its official statement, the organisation insisted that it has not halted its work, emphasising that the decision “in no way means the organisation will stop carrying out its humanitarian mission.” Messages sent to employees, it said, were part of policies designed to enhance transparency and shared decision-making. The restructuring is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025.
In a phone call with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the administration said the reduction in staff aims to cut costs and increase operational efficiency, with only a small number of employees retained to handle administrative and financial tasks and follow up on children’s cases.
The association’s programmes in Syria provide direct care to around 200 children and young adults living in its centres and support about 230 families through social and economic rehabilitation. Over the years, it has reached more than 88,000 affected children through emergency responses offering shelter, psychological support, and educational services.
However, experts warn that any further reduction or suspension of the association’s activities will create a significant gap in Syria’s social welfare sector. Most of these services rely on international funding, and local alternatives capable of supporting vulnerable children—particularly orphans and those affected by war—remain extremely limited.
Legal experts note that the association’s future depends on the outcome of ongoing investigations. Lawyer Rabie Al-Shaib told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the organisation’s licence “could be revoked if it is proven that its management or staff were involved in criminal cases or serious legal violations.” Syrian law, he added, allows the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour to suspend or permanently dissolve an organisation if its activities contradict its humanitarian objectives or violate funding conditions. However, “mere investigation or administrative restructuring is not sufficient grounds to cancel the licence unless final judicial rulings are issued,” he emphasised.
Reported by Abdullah Al-Saad, Damascus