Syria ‘not alone’ in locating missing persons, tackling displacement

Syria is not alone in tackling challenges, including the hundreds of thousands who remain missing during past tumultuous decades, the head of a UN institution said on Thursday as António Guterres departs on his first visit to the country in his current capacity as Secretary-General.In a country having among the world’s highest numbers of missing persons, Karla Quintana, head of the UN Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syria, provided a snapshot of ongoing efforts.Having processed more than 75,000 documents and sharing information with key partners, the institution has also been focusing on missing migrants and children and those disappeared by terrorist group Da’esh following the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024.“Syria knows they don’t have to do this alone,” she explained, noting that the institution, established by the UN General Assembly in 2023, continues to work towards locating missing persons and supporting their families.Challenges remainWhile the new Government has granted some access to the institution, Ms. Quintana explained that national authorities have yet to allow the establishment of an office in the country.Still, accessing, analysing and shari...