Images of war-torn countries make little impact until we see the reality of the situation through the eyes of children.
It is only then that that the true devastation of conflict is seen. The reality of lives cut short by feuding governments, armies and people in power.
This week, a video of a hurt little boy captures the absolute horror that continues to unfold each day in Aleppo. Omran Daqneesh is a five-year-old child that was traumatically injured during an air-strike in Syria. The young boy was pulled by strangers from rubble after his house was destroyed.
Omran is seen sitting dazed and confused in an ambulance. He lifts his hand to his head to discover he is covered in blood. Sitting quietly, the boy wipes his hand on the seat.
ABC news reports Volunteers from Syria’s Civil Defense group known as the White Helmets assisted Omran.
Omran was pulled from the remains of a destroyed block of flats along with his parents and three siblings, aged one, six and 11, journalist Mahmoud Raslan told AP news agency.
“We were passing them from one balcony to the other,” Raslan (who took the photo) said, adding that he had been handed three lifeless bodies before receiving the injured boy.
Aleppo is a major battleground in Syria’s devastating civil war. Fighting has intensified in the region since mid-July. It is split between western areas held by the Government, backed by Russian warplanes, and eastern regions held by rebels.
Omran is expected to recover from the head injuries he sustained.
Comparisons are being drawn between Omran and the image of Aylan Kurdi who drowned whilst fleeing for safety.
A haunting cartoon from @khalidalbaih linking Omran Daqneesh and Aylan Kurdi #Syria https://t.co/XO7Q7F2rWY pic.twitter.com/9kdqjtvqqn
— Sara Yasin (@missyasin) August 18, 2016
