UN Expert Urges Global Support to Locate Thousands of Missing Syrians
UN Expert Urges Global Support to Locate Thousands of Missing Syrians
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The head of the Independent Institution for Missing Persons in Syria (IIMP), Karla Quintana, called for a collective international effort to help locate the thousands of individuals who disappeared under the Assad regime over the past 50 years, according to JURIST.
During a press conference at the UN’s New York headquarters on Wednesday, Quintana warned that “time is running out” and that the crisis affects not only “hundreds of thousands of families, but entire communities.” She urged the mobilization of “every available skill, resource, and capacity” to achieve the IIMP’s mission.
A major challenge for the institution is the lack of confirmed records, as conflict has made many areas inaccessible, and existing documents are often incomplete or destroyed.
The UN-established IIMP is dedicated to helping Syrian families locate their missing relatives, “find the truth” about their disappearances, and provide legal and psychological support. The organization was created in response to the disappearance of tens of thousands of people under the former regime of Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted in December 2024.
