Editor's note: The images and video in this article may be upsetting to some readers.
A powerful image of a wounded Syrian boy sitting in an ambulance, covered in blood and dust after an air strike in Aleppo on Wednesday, August 17, has captured the attention of people across the globe.
The image was taken from a video released by the Aleppo Media Center, which shows rescuers carrying the five-year-old boy into the ambulance. The boy is in such a daze, he doesn't appear to realize that he is wounded until he puts his hand to his head, and sees the blood on his hand.
The boy has since been identified as Omran Daqneesh, from the Qaterji neighborhood of Aleppo, The Guardian reports. He was joined in the ambulance by two other children.
The picture is a powerful reminder of the true cost of war. As such, it almost immediately went viral, bringing up emotions for people all over the world.
People of different ethnicities, faiths, nationalities and political beliefs have been reacting to the image online. Regardless of their thoughts about the civil war waging in Syria, there seems to be a general consensus: This image is absolutely heartbreaking.
My eyes burst into tears aftr watching clip of a wounded syrian boy pulled frm d rubble bloodied bt sitting silently pic.twitter.com/MCSbmh4efb
— Sumaiya Somi (@iamsomiS) August 19, 2016
Heartbreaking image of this poor, perplexed boy who has no idea what has happened #SyrianWarhttps://t.co/KC8DuWBuwvpic.twitter.com/SH34iOay6v
— angie valenti (@angivalenti) August 19, 2016
Photo of Syrian boy, five, alone in an ambulance shocks the world
My heart is broken. Praying for peace & love https://t.co/OSjk6gP0K6
— Elilm (@ElisabetMin) August 19, 2016
Syrian boy sits wounded in after a deadly airstrike in Aleppo! How can the World be both Beautiful & Cruel?! https://t.co/VgB0baXUWE
— Tiffani Peoples (@Tiffluvs2shop) August 19, 2016It also got the attention of celebrities such as model Chrissy Teigen, who tweeted to her 2.42 million followers that she was too upset about the image to care about the Ryan Lochte scandal.
I personally cannot bring myself to give two shits about Ryan Lochte's gas station fight, and this is why. https://t.co/y645DBuKQh
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) August 18, 2016
I'm not saying we have to care about every issue at once, or we must pick and choose what to bring to light but god damn, who the fuck cares
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) August 18, 2016
Stupid as shit gas station international incident, nope. Don't care.
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) August 18, 2016
we must be empathetic. we are humans. we ALL deserve a life before death. life should be beautiful. for all. https://t.co/4lNYf0qZNU
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) August 19, 2016The photo was also turned into a haunting cartoon from artist @khalidalbaih linking Omran Daqneesh and Aylan Kurdi, theSyrian three-year-old who washed up dead on a beach in Turkey in 2015.
#Khartoon - Choices #OmranDaqneesh 5 pulled from under the ruins, #AylanKurdi 3 drowned in the Mediterranean #Syriapic.twitter.com/Y4XQgfKgHt
Watch the video below.
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