A document obtained by Zaman al-Wasl revealed that the organization SOS INTERNATIONAL reviewed the conditions of orphanages in Syria in 2020, in direct coordination with the Syrian regime and its security services, including the National Security Office, which supervises Syrian intelligence.
Although the organization claims to work according to humanitarian standards, its reviews were conducted under strict supervision by senior officials in the regime, including Asma al-Assad, which raises questions about the motives for this step.
It is noteworthy that the organization's reports did not address the conditions of detainees' children at all, even though they are among the groups most in need of protection. This neglect raises doubts about the independence of the organization and the influence of the defunct Syrian regime on its work.
🔹 Why does the evaluation of orphanages require security approval?
🔹 Was the goal to protect children or to cover up violations?
🔹 Why did the organization ignore the suffering of detainees' children?
According to the sources, the organization’s review was not limited to the administrative aspects of the orphanages, but was conducted under the direct supervision of senior authorities in the Assad regime, including the National Security Bureau, which reports directly to the presidency and oversees all Syrian intelligence agencies. The document showed that the approval of the organization’s procedures was issued by the head of the National Security Bureau, reflecting the deep security dimension in managing this file.
What is striking is that these reviews were conducted under the direct supervision of Asma al-Assad, the wife of the ousted president, which raises questions about the real motives behind this step.
Why all this security coordination?
Usually, humanitarian organizations conduct their reviews independently and according to clear international standards. However, in this case, it appears that every step was subject to the supervision of senior security authorities, indicating strict control over the organization’s operations and possibly restrictions on the categories benefiting from its programs.
If the review was only related to the protection system in orphanages, why did it require the approval of the National Security Bureau, which is the body that coordinates the activities of Syrian intelligence? Are there security concerns related to children inside these centers? Or is the goal to control the information that may come out of these institutions and hide the situation of the children of detainees?
Ignoring the children of detainees
SOS International has not issued any statement regarding the situation of the children of detainees, even though they are among the categories deserving of protection according to international standards. Its reports have also not addressed the suffering of these children or their living conditions, which raises doubts about the nature of its work in Syria and the extent of its independence from the security pressures of the regime.
In light of this ignorance, voices are rising demanding an official clarification from the organization regarding its previous reviews of orphanages, and why it did not address the situation of the children of detainees in its reports at all, who are among the most affected groups.
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