This Article is From Mar 31, 2015

Why This Photo of Syrian Child 'Surrendering' to a Camera is Breaking Hearts

Why This Photo of Syrian Child 'Surrendering' to a Camera is Breaking Hearts

It is the saddest possible comment on the conflict in Syria, in which millions of children have been displaced or otherwise affected. An image tweeted by photojournalist Nadia AbuShaban shows a four-year-old Syrian child 'surrendering' after mistaking a camera for a gun.

The toddler gazes into the lens with lips pursed, eyes grim, arms raised, frozen with fear.

The photo, reportedly taken at a Syrian refugee camp by Turkish journalist Osman Sagirli, has been retweeted over 10,000 times since it was first posted on March 24.

The image appears to have been sourced from this un-dated newspaper article.

BBC spoke to the photographer, Osman Sagirli who said the picture is of a four-year-old girl, Hudea and was taken at an Atmeh refugee camp in Syria in 2014.

Says Sagirli, "I was using a telephoto lens, and she thought it was a weapon. I realised she was terrified after I took it, and looked at the picture, because she bit her lips and raised her hands. Normally kids run away, hide their faces or smile when they see a camera... It makes more sense to see what they have suffered not through adults, but through children. It is the children who reflect the feelings with their innocence." 

The photo has prompted an emotional outpouring on Twitter:

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