The Boy in the
Ambulance Offers Glimpse of 'Profound Horrors' in Syria
Laying
bare the horrors of Syria's ongoing civil war, heartbreaking footage of a young
boy rescued from the rubble following an airstrike in Aleppo has gone
viral.
Much
as last year's photos of
three-year-old Aylan Kurdi—"The Boy on the Beach"—offered a stark
reminder of
the human toll of the refugee crisis, the images of five-year-old Omran
Daqneesh—"The Boy in the Ambulance"—are forcing many to consider the
devastating realities of life in war-torn Syria, where more than 250,000
people, including many children, have died in almost five years of war.
The
photo and accompanying video, taken and distributed by
the activist group Aleppo Media Centre, show Omran being pulled from a
partially destroyed building and placed in a chair inside a brightly lit
ambulance after an airstrike Wednesday evening. His face and body are covered
in ash, dust, and blood. Seemingly dazed, he says nothing.
— Lotte Leicht (@LotteLeicht1) August 18, 2016
According to news outlets, Omran was taken to a
hospital, treated for head wounds, and released. It has been confirmed that
though his parents and siblings were also wounded in the attack, they
survived.
The Associated Press reports:
"An hour after his rescue, the building the boy was in completely
collapsed."
Eight
people, including five children, are said to have died in the bombing.
As
many observers pointed out on social media, young Omran represents thousands of
innocent children. As journalist Raf Sanchez—whose initial tweet containing
the disturbing image has been shared more than 15,000 times—wrote at
the Telegraph,
"Tomorrow there will, no doubt, be more strikes and more children like
Omran will be hurt."
Indeed,
Sanchez on Thursday posted a video of medics in Aleppo giving CPR to a child on
hospital floor. The child later died.
Medics in #Aleppo giving CPR to a child on hospital
floor this morning. The little boy died despite their efforts. pic.twitter.com/DugfyiA03l
— Raf Sanchez (@rafsanchez) August 18, 2016
So it didn't stop & it won't stop with Omran if the world doesn't act.
These pics from this morning #Syria #Aleppo pic.twitter.com/pS6PTJVoqu
— Sophie McNeill (@Sophiemcneill) August 18, 2016
On
Thursday, the United Nations suspended its humanitarian task force in Syria
amid frustration over intensified fighting that has prevented aid
deliveries to besieged areas for at least a month.
"Not
one single convoy in one month has reached any of the humanitarian besieged
areas—not one single convoy," U.N. envoy for Syria Staffan
de Mistura, who chairs the task force and suspended Thursday's meeting after
just eight minutes, told reporters.
"And why? Because of one thing: Fighting."
Earlier
this week, the U.N.-mandated Independent International Commission of Inquiry on
Syria warned in a statement:
"The situation in Aleppo city has been catastrophic for many years. As
unthinkable as it is, the current attacks suggest the agony of its civilians is
about to deepen."