How you can help return two young children 'taken to Syria' to their anxious mother
A mother whose two young children have been taken to the middle east by their father is appealing for the public's help in alerting the Syrian authorities to her plight.
Police in Shropshire have launched an investigation and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is assisting Alaa Azzam, who lives in Church Stretton following the disappearance of Kefah Rabah, 10 and eight-year-old Kamal Rabah.
Alaa, who lives in Church Stretton, is currently in Jordan and believes the children and their father have gone to Syria. She says her family doesn't want her to follow them there.
A Facebook page called Kefah and Kamal abduction has been launched and the organisers of it are calling on people to email Government officials in Syria and Jordan.
The statement says: "I know a lot of people are wanting to help Alaa in this awful situation.
"To support Alaa and bring Kefah and Kamal back to safety please send an email to the below addresses along with a screenshot of Alaa’s post.
"The more people we can get to email the better.
"We need to make the governments and ministries aware of this dire situation and to realise how many people it is important to. We need them to realise how important it is to help."
A template email has been created for people to copy and paste, which reads: "Dear Sir, Kefah and Kamal have been abducted from the UK and taken to Syria by their father.
"They were first taken to Jordan.
"There is a UK court order in place saying that the children must not be taken out of the country unless the court has stated it is ok. This had not happened.
"They have been taken away from their mother, their home, and their school to Syria where it is not safe. Please do all you can to find them and bring them to safety with their mother. The world is watching."
The emails should be sent to Info@pministry.gov.sy, Info@mofaex.gov.sy and Pmis@pm.gov.jo
Police say they are treating the two children as "high-risk missing people".
A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said the force had received a report on Friday that two children from Shropshire had left the UK with a family member.
The spokesperson said: "On Friday, February 16 we received a report that two children from Shropshire had been illegally taken abroad by a family member.
"An investigation has been launched and the children, aged 10 and eight, are being treated as high-risk missing people. Extensive enquiries are underway to locate them and ensure they are safe.
Alaa added: "I am a mother, I will take any risk to get my children home safely. My children are my life. There is nothing more I can do than go to Jordan and save them."
A spokesperson for The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed that it is "assisting a British woman following a situation in Jordan."
But the department's policy is not to provide a 'running commentary' on such cases.
And a spokesperson for West Mercia Police on Wednesday said there was no further update.
