By: Emma Yuan

For over a decade Syria has been at war with itself. In the midst of the uprisings, 5.5 million have fled. Hundreds of thousands of citizens rally to the streets in protest. People are dragged from their homes every day to be detained by the government, totaling to over 27,000 Syrian citizens taken away. Amongst those numbers, an estimated 130,000 people have been labeled missing, leaving little indication on where to find them. Recently however, the U.N. has decided to bring those people back, so their families may reunite.

The UN was established in the wake of World War II in order to prevent such an incident from occurring again. The intent of the supranational organization is to establish world peace and address issues that may pose a threat to the stability of the world. As of now, they have begun preparations for the search of those gone missing. Though the details of the initiative remain vague, it can be assumed that the intention of the UN is to free those taken away or in hiding.

The Syrian Civil War began in 2011, under the reign of President Bashar Assad. Syria has a history of having a government wrought from corruption and nepotism, allowing for little opportunity to invoke equality. For decades the country has served under one family–the Assads. And with that power, greed followed. Tired of the constant, unending cycle of injustice, citizens of Syria rebelled, kickstarting the twelve year civil war whose bloodshed would be known across the world. Most chose to leave Syria during the conflict, seeking refuge in nearby countries such as Turkey, which held many cultural similarities to its unfortunate neighbor. Others stayed behind due to choice or necessity. Thousands slip through the cracks without a trace, where only loved ones notice their absence.

One of those people is Umm Mohammed, full name undisclosed, who seeks news of her husband. Due to participation in anti-government protests, authorities broke into their home and beat him, before taking him away. Since then, she has received little information on his current state. One of her sources claims he’s been seen in one of the hundred of military prisons under the Syrian government.

“When someone is martyred. They’re buried and you know they’re dead. In this case, you don’t know and you’ll always be wondering.” Umm states. Her husband represents not even a fraction of the populace reported as missing.

The UN has long since sought for the goal of world peace. In a recent assembly, its 193 member-countries voted in favor of forming an institution destined to search for those missing in Syria. Three months from now the organization will be formed, information gathered and search begun. As family members begin to age, they pray to see their loved ones one last time. Some are detained in military camps, some have been taken by those enforcing the country’s own twisted vigilantism. Others may decompose before their remains can be uncovered.