Desperate Search Continues: Families Cling to Fading Hopes in Post-Assad Syria

A year after Bashar al-Assad's downfall in Syria, families like Amina Beqai's continue searching for missing loved ones. Despite a National Commission for Missing Persons gathering evidence, no answers emerge for an estimated 150,000 vanished under Assad's rule. Hopeful efforts falter amid delays and lack of transparency.

A year has passed since the ousting of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, yet families like Amina Beqai's remain in a seemingly endless cycle of searching for missing loved ones. Her husband Mahmoud and brother Ahmed are among an estimated 150,000 people who disappeared under Assad's brutal regime.

The National Commission for Missing Persons, established to investigate enforced disappearances, has been unable to provide substantial answers, leaving families frustrated and desperate. The commission has faced criticism for its slow progress and failure to provide necessary closure to families.

Despite international cooperation and efforts to improve processes, problems persist, such as the monopolization of information and exclusion of experienced organisations. As Syrians mark a year post-Assad, the lack of transparency and accountability continues to leave many in limbo.