Red Cross highlights 35,000 forced disappearances in Syria, calls for preservation of detainee records

DARAMSUQ — The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported documenting 35,000 cases of forced disappearances in Syria over the past 13 years, marking the issue as one of the most pressing and complex humanitarian challenges stemming from the Syrian crisis.

In a recent statement, the ICRC urged all relevant parties in Syria to safeguard critical records, such as lists of detainees and deceased individuals. These records, the organization emphasized, hold vital information that could provide answers to families desperately seeking news of their missing loved ones.

The committee underscored the importance of transparency and accountability in addressing this humanitarian crisis. It also revealed a significant development: gaining access to all sections and floors of the infamous Saydnaya prison in the Daramsuq (Damascus) countryside. This step could potentially pave the way for uncovering the fate of many detainees and bringing closure to their families.

The plight of missing persons and detainees remains a deeply emotional and unresolved chapter of the Syrian conflict, with calls growing louder for international cooperation and justice.