Syria Reports Nearly 140,000 People Still Missing Amid War

Syria Reports Nearly 140,000 People Still Missing Amid War
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Syrian authorities have announced that approximately 140,000 individuals remain missing in the country, which has been devastated by years of conflict, Anadolu Agency reported. Emergency and Disasters Minister Raid Al-Saleh, speaking at a press conference in Damascus and quoted by the state news agency SANA, stated that this figure is based on information from human rights organizations.

The minister also mentioned signs pointing to the existence of mass graves across Syria but noted that there are currently no precise statistics regarding their number. In addition, Al-Saleh revealed that the rescue group known as the White Helmets has been incorporated into the Emergency and Disasters Ministry.

In a significant political development, President Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, marking the end of the Baath Party’s long-standing regime since 1963. Subsequently, Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former leader of anti-regime forces, was appointed as interim president in January.