Heartbreaking Photo Of A 4-Year-Old Syrian Girl ‘Surrendering’ To A Photojournalist


How horribly sad and unjust is this? Why should any child automatically know how to behave when a “weapon” is in her face?

This little Syrian girl — 4-year-old Hudea — knew exactly what to do when she was approached by a photojournalist. She assumed that his camera was a weapon and immediately put her hands in the air to “surrender.”

syrian girl surrender
yeniakit.com.tr / Via Osman Sarl

The photo was taken by Osman Sarl (sp) last December. Here is what he said:

“I was using a telephoto lens, and she thought it was a weapon. I realized 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.”

From a news clipping of the photo:

Her face tightens immediately. She bites her lower lip and slowly raises her hands. She stands still without a word. It isn’t easy to console the child who thinks that the camera looking at her is a gun.

Too much!!! As a mother, this is just too much. Heartbreaking. All war hawks and conservatives who love war need to see this little girl’s photo. It’s just too much.

Hudea lives in a refugee camp on the Turkish border. She lost her father in a bombing in Hama. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), approximately 10 million Syrians are refugees, seeking asylum, or are displaced.

I had a successful career actively working with at-risk youth, people struggling with poverty and unemployment, and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. In 2011, I made the decision to pursue my dreams and become a full-time writer. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.