Forced disappearance is considered one of the primary reasons for loss in Syria, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, “with at least 112,713 individuals, including 3,105 children and 6,698 women, still subjected to enforced disappearance in Syria since March 2011.” Enforced disappearance is a serious violation of human rights, depriving individuals of their right to life, freedom, security, and access to justice. It is also a form of torture, causing severe physical and psychological suffering to the victims.

The Families of Syrian Missing Persons Network is a local network established in 2020 by a group of families of the missing persons in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The network aims to achieve the following:

1. Establish a dedicated database for the missing persons to facilitate search efforts.
2. Make the issue of missing persons a public concern that all members of society care about.
3. Reach out to the families of the missing persons and emphasize the importance of reporting the disappearances.
4. Provide awareness sessions on the issue of Syrian missing persons.
5. Address the challenges and concerns faced by the families of the missing persons with organizations.

Judy Organization for Relief and Development, through the project to strengthen the families of Syrian Missing Persons Network, has worked to enhance the capacity of the network’s staff through online training and workshops. The project benefited 107 individuals, including 54 males and 53 females. The project included the following activities:

1. Providing awareness sessions to Syrian families of the missing persons in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq about the missing persons, their rights, the role of families, the reporting mechanism, the families of Syrian Missing Persons Network, and recruiting some of them to join the network.
2. Building the capacity of the families of the missing persons in strategic planning, legal awareness, advocacy, and social media.
3. Advocacy campaigns through creating informative posters and materials for distribution.

We must always remember that these individuals are not just statistics or numbers. They are members of Syrian families who are experiencing unimaginable pain and sorrow, and they deserve justice and answers.