Insight

In Syria, thousands of detainees are released with no papers, no ID, and no record of their survival. Their families are left searching the only way they can: through Facebook posts, survivor testimonies, and crowdsourced spreadsheets. There is no official database. Only traces.

Idea

UNHCR created Traces of hope  a secure digital platform that helps reconnect families with their loved ones released from detention. It collects fragments from both sides from those who were released, and from those still searching. At UNHCR centers, individuals can leave behind a trace: a voice recording, a known relative’s name, or last known location. Families can upload whatever they have: a nickname, a blurry photo, a Facebook comment, a question. Trace’s AI scans both sides and the unofficial lists already circulating. From spreadsheets to voice notes, from regional dialects to online posts Traces of Hoope connects what war separated. When a possible match is found, UNHCR steps in. To verify. To protect. And to help make contact.