Nidal Zakam Al Harith

Nidal Zakam Al Harith , 37

Nidal fled the Syrian civil war in 2013 and settled in Mersin, Turkey, where he worked hard to provide a decent life for his family and children, who were left behind in Syria.

In July 2023, as Turkey began imposing restrictions and repatriations on Syrian residents, Nidal decided to attempt the journey to Europe with some cousins and other companions.

However, the journey proved to be difficult and exhausting. At one point, Nidal decided he could no longer continue. He communicated his decision to his fellow travelers, and as a result, he was abandoned near the village of Fakia on July 12, 2023.

A team from the Collettivo Rotte Balcaniche was in Bulgaria during that time and received a signal a few weeks later. On August 29, the team went to the location to search for any traces, but nothing was found.

The family has done everything they can: they contacted the local authorities, major humanitarian organizations in the area, the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior, and the Burgas Hospital. His brother, who lives in Germany, even sent a copy of his DNA, but they received no response.