A photo of a Syrian child is going viral today – for the most heartbreaking of reasons.
In Australia, most children automatically know to break into a cheesy grin when a camera’s pointed their way.
But some Syrian children, who have grown up in a conflict now deed the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II, are more familiar with guns than cameras.
Related content: The unknown future of Syria’s children.
That’s the heartbreaking story told by a photo that’s going viral today after it was tweeted by Palestine-based photojournalist Nadia Abu Shaban.
The photo, believed to have been taken in 2012 by Photojournalist Osman Sağırlı, shows a young child raising his hands in a ‘surrender’ pose, apparently thinking the camera is a weapon aimed at his head.
“Thought he has a weapon not a camera so she gave up” reads the caption.
The photo has been retweeted more than 8,600 times, and has hit a nerve with many social media users — with one twitter user writing: “I’m actually weeping seeing this. We’ve made this planet a horrible place, haven’t we?”
Another commented: “That’s really sad… must’ve been terrified when the camera went ‘click’.”
Turkish media report the photo shows a four-year-old boy named Adi Hudea, who lost his father in the Hama bombing and travelled to Camp Atmen on the border of Syria/Turkey with his very nervous mother and three siblings.
Related content: A way to understand Syria.
Today, the five-year civil war in Syria has already claimed an estimated 220,000 lives, while 12.2 million people — including more than five million children — remain in need of humanitarian assistance.
More than million children are in need of such assistance,with more than 1 million Syrian children having sought refuge in neighbouring countries, according to Save the Children.
Related content: The conflict in Syria is now the worst humanitarian crisis since WWII.
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This is so very sad. What is wrong with the world?? And how do we make it right again?
Again? You mean pre the last 5 years when or in the time when Asads Father killed 90,000 people in a single city or do you mean pre 30 years when parts of asia where being napalmed, or do you mean pre 50 years when millions of jews where gassed, or pre 80 years when the Bolsheviks murdered millions in the name of peoples rights, or pre 500 or 1000, or 10 thousand. All this information is easily findable.
The world is a much better place than it has ever been but we are regressing. Although the world seems to tolerate particular peoples committing horrendous acts so long as it allows us to keep sipping our lattee.
4+ years ago the death toll was 3,500 yet no one wanted to help because it was a local issue and no one wanted to upset another arab country (am not even talking about syria) and china and russia supported Syria.....see, in modern times it is only wrong when you hit 100,000 dead children, 1,000 children is still not enough to warrant concern from the UN or the world at large. Don't worry though. I am sure they will run a hash tag campaign for her, like they did the 100 nigerian girls kidnapped....how's that one worked out?
I do not like what I type above and wish it was not so but these sre the realities that people must start talking about. How many dead children are enough for people to say enough? 1, 5 , 50, 200, 2000, 50000.
I completely agree with you there. The "again" does seem erroneous now I reread my comment - I don't have a solution, but I feel like something has to be done.
This makes me feel so ill ... I can't get over this picture. I just want to cry in disgust and resignation that this is the world we live in.