"Lahn Al-Hayat" Orphanage: Fate of Detainees Children

Amid the growing interest in the reality of social welfare institutions in Syria, the General Authority for Lahn Al-Hayat Homes stands out as one of the most prominent organizations concerned with caring for children without family care, seeking their social and psychological rehabilitation.

Over the past few months, the Authority has witnessed a series of administrative changes and development programs aimed at enhancing the care and educational environment and improving the quality of services provided to children. Since assuming office in early 2011, the new administration has archived all files electronically, contributing to the organization of work and the documentation of data in a more accurate and transparent manner.

The Authority provides comprehensive support to Lahn Al-Hayat orphans, including assistance in obtaining identification documents such as civil status records and passports. It also pays special attention to infants, seeking to place them with foster families under specific conditions and criteria that ensure their best interests.

Since the beginning of the liberation, the issue of the children of detainees who were placed in the Lahn al-Hayat homes during the Assad regime's rule has come to the fore. This issue has sparked widespread debate about the previous care mechanisms and the rights of these children, who were forcibly separated from their families, and whose families remain unaccounted for to this day.

In a statement to Zaman al-Wasl, Professor Moatasem al-Salumi, Director of the General Authority for Lahn al-Hayat Homes, said: "Official documents indicate that the former regime transferred the children of detainees to the care homes under the guise of 'unknown child,' based on documents issued by the Air Force Intelligence Service, while preventing them from being handed over to any family.

The Authority revealed that some children were only admitted and released based on documents, without actual physical entry, while their fate remained unknown. Cases of children being admitted and released without any official documentation have also been documented, along with cases in which the children's parentage was changed and the names of their fathers or mothers were altered, indicating a serious manipulation of their legal identity."

Despite its achievements, the Authority still faces significant challenges in its efforts to protect children's rights and restore them to a dignified and safe life.

Zaman Al Wasl