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Over 112,000 People Still Forcibly Disappeared in Syria

Demonstrators hold photos of missing people in the Umayyad Square in Damascus on Saturday (AFP)
Demonstrators hold photos of missing people in the Umayyad Square in Damascus on Saturday (AFP)
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Over 112,000 People Still Forcibly Disappeared in Syria

Demonstrators hold photos of missing people in the Umayyad Square in Damascus on Saturday (AFP)
Demonstrators hold photos of missing people in the Umayyad Square in Damascus on Saturday (AFP)

The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has reported that at least 112,414 people remain forcibly disappeared in Syria, primarily due to crimes committed by the Assad regime, despite the release of thousands of detainees in recent weeks.

Fadel Abdul Ghany, the director of SNHR, told Asharq Al-Awsat that their database implicates 6,724 members of the regime’s forces in these crimes. He also confirmed that SNHR is ready to provide detailed information on key perpetrators within the Assad regime.

The report shed light on the ongoing humanitarian disaster caused by arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances in Syria, even after the opening of regime detention centers and the discovery of several mass graves.

The release of detainees coincided with military operations launched by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that resulted in the recapture of major cities, including Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Damascus. In the process, prisons and security facilities were opened, and all detainees were released.

Additionally, mass graves containing the remains of thousands of victims executed extrajudicially were discovered in recent weeks. According to the SNHR report, these findings underscore the systematic nature of crimes committed by the Bashar al-Assad regime.

The SNHR estimates that around 24,200 people have been released since the opening of regime prisons. However, as of August 2024, their database shows a total of 136,614 individuals detained or forcibly disappeared, meaning that over 112,414 people are still unaccounted for.

The report emphasized that these individuals are considered forcibly disappeared because their remains have not been returned to their families, and no information about their fate has been disclosed.

Fadel Abdul Ghany stressed to Asharq Al-Awsat that holding those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria accountable is a “legal and moral imperative” to achieve justice for victims and prevent future violations.

He highlighted that documenting these crimes, a process undertaken by SNHR and other organizations over the past decade, is a critical step toward accountability. SNHR has developed a comprehensive database that includes a list of 16,200 individuals involved in committing these crimes. Among them are 6,724 members of regime forces, including the army and security apparatus, and 9,476 members of pro-regime militias and auxiliary groups formed after the Syrian uprising in 2011.

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UN Food Agency Says Its Food Stocks in Gaza Have Run out under Israel’s Blockade

A girl puts a pot to her head as Palestinians wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, April 24, 2025. (Reuters)
A girl puts a pot to her head as Palestinians wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, April 24, 2025. (Reuters)
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UN Food Agency Says Its Food Stocks in Gaza Have Run out under Israel’s Blockade

A girl puts a pot to her head as Palestinians wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, April 24, 2025. (Reuters)
A girl puts a pot to her head as Palestinians wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, April 24, 2025. (Reuters)

The World Food Program says its food stocks in the Gaza Strip have run out under Israel’s nearly 8-week-old blockade, ending a main source of sustenance for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the territory.

The WFP said in a statement that it delivered the last of its stocks to charity kitchens that it supports around Gaza. It said those kitchens are expected to run out of food in the coming days.

Some 80% of Gaza’s population of more than 2 million relies primarily on charity kitchens for food, because other sources have shut down under Israel’s blockade, according to the UN. The WFP has been supporting 47 kitchens that distribute 644,000 hot meals a day, WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa told the Associated Press.

It was not immediately clear how many kitchens would still be operating in Gaza if those shut down. But Etefa said the WFP-backed kitchens are the major ones in Gaza.

Israel cut off entry of all food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza on March 2 and then resumed its bombardment and ground offensives two weeks later, shattering a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. It says the moves aim to pressure Hamas to release hostages it still holds. Rights groups have called the blockade a “starvation tactic” and a potential war crime.

Israel has said Gaza has enough supplies after a surge of aid entered during the ceasefire and accuses Hamas of diverting aid for its purposes. Humanitarian workers deny there is significant diversion, saying the UN strictly monitors distribution. They say the aid flow during the ceasefire was barely enough to cover the immense needs from throughout the war when only a trickle of supplies got in.

With no new goods entering Gaza, many foods have disappeared from markets, including meat, eggs, fruits, dairy products and many vegetables. Prices for what remains have risen dramatically, becoming unaffordable for much of the population. Most families rely heavily on canned goods.

Malnutrition is already surging. The UN said it identified 3,700 children suffering from acute malnutrition in March, up 80% from the month before. At the same time, because of diminishing supplies, aid groups were only able to provide nutritional supplements to some 22,000 children in March, down 70% from February. The supplements are a crucial tool for averting malnutrition.

Almost all bakeries shut down weeks ago and the WFP stopped distribution of food basics to families for lack of supplies. With stocks of most ingredients depleted, charity kitchens generally can only serve meals of pasta or rice with little added.

World Central Kitchen -- a US charity that is one of the biggest in Gaza that doesn’t rely on the WFP -- said Thursday that its kitchens had run out of proteins. Instead, they make stews from canned vegetables. Because fuel is scarce, it dismantles wooden shipping pallets to burn in its stoves, it said. It also runs the only bakery still functioning in Gaza, producing 87,000 loaves of pita a day.

The WFP said 116,000 tons of food is ready to be brought into Gaza if Israel opens the borders, enough to feed 1 million people for four months.

Israel has leveled much of Gaza with its air and ground campaign, vowing to destroy Hamas after its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. It has killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, whose count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

In the Oct. 7 attack, gunmen killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. They still hold 59 hostages after most were released in ceasefire deals.