Launched by a group of young Syrians, “Where Are They?” Campaign aims to cast light on the issue of forced disappearance in Syria.

The campaign came as part of several other Syrian initiatives that took place on the International Day of the Disappeared, on August 30.

Activists -with the help of graphic designers- spread photos of the victims of forced disappearence on social media websites, with each photo holding the date of their detention/disappearance. Additionally, the group uploaded a series of short videos that include testimonies explaining the conditions of the disappeared.

“This helps draw attention to the unknown fate of thousands of Syrians in regime prisons, and recently the ISIS.” Artist Yara al-Najm says to SyriaUntold, “It's a plea for the world not to treat these human being as numbers.”

What stood in the way of the campaign's success, the activists reported, was the reluctance of some people to declare the disappearance of their family members, believing that coming forward would put their loved ones' lives at more risk.

Despite the cooperation and positive feedback that “Where Are They?” have received, the campaign's activists does not consider themselves to have achieved the desired goal. “Where Are They was launched for a cause, therefore we can not deem this initiative successful, until the detained and disappeared return to their families and loved ones safe.”