(MENAFN) A senior UN official has indicated that there is credible evidence suggesting some Syrians who disappeared during the country’s conflict may still be alive, urging immediate action to locate hundreds of thousands of missing people, according to reports.

Karla Quintana, chair of the UN-established Independent Institution for Missing Persons in Syria, told a news agency at the TRT World Forum 2025 that some missing individuals could be victims of sexual slavery or human trafficking. “Verifiable and credible information” suggests that not all disappearances ended in death, she said, emphasizing ongoing investigations into cases linked to the Syrian regime, missing children, migrants, and those abducted by ISIS (Daesh).

“I would like to say that 10 months ago, we would not even be able to think about going to Syria to look for the missing after the fall of the regime. Now we are able to enter Syria, and we are looking for hundreds of thousands of missing Syrians,” Quintana added.

Quintana stressed that the search must be led by Syrian institutions with international backing, requiring strong coordination between Syrian authorities, civil society, and UN bodies. The institute works closely with Syria’s newly established National Commission for the Search of the Missing, headed by Rita Yalhi, and maintains regular communication with the Foreign Ministry in Damascus. “This is the first time in the world … that there is an international institution looking for the missing and a national institution looking for the missing at the same time,” she said.

The institute currently employs around 40 staff members, but Quintana highlighted the need for broader collaboration, stating, “No one can do this alone. We are working with other UN entities, member states, Syrian civil society at home and abroad, and of course, the families of the missing.”

Quintana emphasized the role of advanced technology and forensic science in identifying both the living and the deceased. “When we talk about forensic science, we're not only about dead people. We need DNA also to identify them and they're alive when we are talking about dead people,” she explained. She stressed that building trust among all stakeholders—including families, authorities, and the international community—is crucial for effective searches.

Highlighting the risks of delays, Quintana warned, “We are already late in looking for the missing, not only in Syria but all over the world. We know that families have the right to know the truth immediately, but we also have the responsibility and the obligation to explain that this takes processes.”

Quintana also underscored the importance of engaging with Türkiye and other neighboring countries where displaced Syrians have lived or passed through. “The biggest challenge when looking for the missing is to share information and to have information,” she said, adding, “This is a collective endeavor, and I am really, I am sure that Turkey is going to be an ally in this endeavor.”

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