cover of episode What Happened to Syria's Lost Children?

What Happened to Syria's Lost Children?

2025/3/14
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State of the World from NPR
AI Chapters Transcript
Chapters
This chapter delves into the secretive operations by the Assad regime's intelligence agents who placed detained children in orphanages across Damascus, keeping their existence hidden.
  • Over 350 children were placed in orphanages by Assad's intelligence agents.
  • Orphanages were ordered to maintain secrecy about these children.
  • The situation came to light after rebel forces overran Damascus and toppled the Assad regime.

Shownotes Transcript

In Syria about a decade ago, while the Assad regime was focused on crushing an uprising that challenged its rule, it faced a problem. It had too many children in detention, who had been swept up when their mothers were arrested. An NPR investigation has found that hundreds of children were separated from family and placed in orphanages around Damascus by government intelligence agents. They ordered the orphanages to keep this a secret. Now that the Assad regime has fallen, families are searching the Syrian capital for their missing children. We go to Damascus to learn more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)