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Assignment: Searching for my son

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Searching for my son

11/05/2023 GMT

BBC World Service - Assignment, Searching for my son

Omar’s son was pulled alive from the rubble of Turkey’s earthquake, but where is he?

Omar’s son was pulled alive from the rubble of Turkey’s earthquake, but where is he now? Following Syrian refugees in Turkey as they struggle to find their loved ones.

In the chaos following Turkey’s devastating earthquake in February, Omar was separated from his son Ahmed after both were pulled alive from the collapsed ruins of their home. Omar lost his first born and his wife but believes Ahmed could still be alive. 

Many children went missing in the aftermath of the earthquake. Some ended up in hospitals or childrens’ homes on the other side of the country and families have spent months trying to locate them. But for many of the estimated 3.5 million Syrian refugees, searching for lost loved ones is even harder  - there are language barriers and a lack of money,  or sometimes official I.D cards. 

Omar has enlisted the help of Nadine, a fashion designer before the quake, who is  now trying to reunite Syrian families. She and her team find both success and heartbreak. Emily Wither follows Omar, a Syrian refugee, as he searches for his son across south-east Turkey. 

Producer: Phoebe Keane
Producers in Turkey: Zeynep Bilginsoy, Musab Subuh

(Photo: Omar pastes a poster of his son on a lamppost near his destroyed home. It reads: ‘Missing’. Credit: Musab Subuh)

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