Bloodied Syrian Boy in Ambulance Is Heartbreaking Reminder About Horrors of War
We hear a lot about war, but it's a whole other matter to see its effects.
A video released by Allepo Media Center shows a boy being removed from the rubble and placed in an ambulance after bombings in Allepo, Syria shows the shell-shocked child covered in blood and dust. He's in a complete daze while the world around him collapses.
The image of the boy, identified as 5-year-old Omran Daqneesh, has resonated strongly, the contrast of an innocent child caught in the crossfire causing people to take notice, as he became an unwitting symbol of the atrocities of war and what it's doing to people. No matter where you're from or what your political views, the visual of Omran is striking and haunting. It also has some people comparing his story to that of Aylan Kurdi, the three-year-old boy who drowned last year trying to get to Europe.
Omran was taken to a hospital on Wednesday with head wounds and was later released.
His parents and three siblings reportedly survived the attacks. Their apartment was reportedly destroyed.
CNN's Kate Bolduan has also generated publicity for her reaction to the whole matter, which left her choked up:
A photo of Omran has become a flashpoint elsewhere on social media, as well: