Friday, April 3, 2015

Red Cross worker shares image of SECOND youngster putting her hands up because she thought camera was gun

After heartbreaking picture of four-year-old Syrian girl 'surrendering' to photographer, Red Cross worker shares image of SECOND youngster putting her hands up because she thought camera was gun

  • Crying Syrian girl was photographed in Jordanian refugee camp in November
  • She threw her hands up in the air and began crying when she saw his camera
  • Cameraman broke into tears when he reviewed the heart-breaking image later
  • Follows iconic image of another girl who surrendered to cameraman in Syria
  • Thousands of children have fled embattled country to seek refuge in Jordan
  • Conflict charity claims their experiences cause terror-inducing flashbacks

The young Syrian girl pictured surrendering to the camera she mistook for a gun is not the only one who has been traumatised by the violence and war that has plagued her short life.
Another little girl was photographed in a Jordanian refugee camp, weeping with fear after mistaking an aid worker's camera for a weapon.
The photographer who took the heart-breaking image in November did not grasp how terrified she was until he was editing the photographs.
It was then Rene Schulthoff realised the girl - alone and barefoot among the metal huts - was so scared of his camera that 'she raised her hands to surrender because she thought it was a weapon'.
Terrified: A Red Cross worker has pictured another Syrian girl (pictured) who became scared and raised her arms to surrender after mistaking his camera for a weapon
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Terrified: A Red Cross worker has pictured another Syrian girl (pictured) who became scared and raised her arms to surrender after mistaking his camera for a weapon
Heart-breaking: Its emergence follows the now-iconic image of four-year-old Hudea who also surrendered to a camera in a Syrian camp late last year
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Heart-breaking: Its emergence follows the now-iconic image of four-year-old Hudea who also surrendered to a camera in a Syrian camp late last year
The young girl in Jordan (pictured) - who ran barefoot through the camp's rocky terrain - became immensely frightened when Rene raised his camera
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The young girl in Jordan (pictured) - who ran barefoot through the camp's rocky terrain - became immensely frightened when Rene raised his camera
Traumatised: German Red Cross worker Rene Schulthoff did not realise how scared the girl was until he was editing the photographs later - and broke down into tears
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Traumatised: German Red Cross worker Rene Schulthoff did not realise how scared the girl was until he was editing the photographs later - and broke down into tears
Victims: Oblivious to the girl's fear, he continued to photograph other men, women and children who inhabit the camp after fleeing violence in Syria
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Victims: Oblivious to the girl's fear, he continued to photograph other men, women and children who inhabit the camp after fleeing violence in Syria
Tough life: Mr Schulthoff told MailOnline  these children 'grow up in permanent fear and under extremely poor conditions'
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Tough life: Mr Schulthoff told MailOnline these children 'grow up in permanent fear and under extremely poor conditions'
He told MailOnline: 'I had tears in my eyes when I saw her like that on my computer. I was shocked by her reaction, the fear and seeing her crying... It is a tragedy for this young generation.'
'Instead of playing with friends, they grow up in permanent fear under extremely poor conditions missing almost everything. A childhood of pain tears and sadness.'
'They miss a peaceful happy childhood, kindergartens, education and what they learn currently is that life is pure horror.'
The Communications Delegate for the German Red Cross regularly visits the camp which is 62 miles east of the capital Amman, but does not know if the nameless girl is there with her family.

She is one of 17,000 living in Azraq camp according to the United Nations Refugee Agency - having fled the brutal war that has plagued Syria for over four years.
The pictures showing her torment follow the iconic image of another Syrian girl who 'broke millions of hearts' after surrendering to a different cameraman Osman Sagirli.
Yesterday, MailOnline exclusively revealed four-year-old Adi Hudea could now be in the hands of Al Qaeda after her family left the Atmeh refugee camp for Idlib.
She, her mother and three siblings had been living in the Syrian camp since the young girl's father was killed in the 2012 Hama massacre.
83-year-old Fatima Bakkar (pictured) is one of 17,000 Syrians who inhabits the Azraq camp which is 62 miles east of Jordan's capital Amman
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83-year-old Fatima Bakkar (pictured) is one of 17,000 Syrians who inhabits the Azraq camp which is 62 miles east of Jordan's capital Amman
Sorrow: The life she left behind in Syria is so horrific that she breaks down in tears during an interview about hr escape
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Sorrow: The life she left behind in Syria is so horrific that she breaks down in tears during an interview about hr escape
New home: The Azraq camp (pictured) is home to a growing number of Syrians fleeing the violence in their country for Jordan, as the brutal civil war there enters its fifth year
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New home: The Azraq camp (pictured) is home to a growing number of Syrians fleeing the violence in their country for Jordan, as the brutal civil war there enters its fifth year
But two weeks ago, they made the fateful decision to move south - only for Idlib to fall into the hands of Al Qaeda's brutal Syrian allies just this weekend.
The now-iconic picture was taken late last year and went viral when photojournalist Nadia Abu Shaban who is based in Gaza tweeted it last week. 
Conflict charity War Child says thousands of children carry 'deep trauma from what they have been through inside Syria'.
This kind of experience can stay with a child and become a dominant part of their consciousness, blocking concentration and coming out as mental flashbacks so intense they induce total terror
Rob Williams, CEO War Child UK
Its Chief Executive Rob Williams told MailOnline: 'One of these children told me that she and her mother had spend two hours picking up the body parts of her little sister who had been hit by shell fire as she played outside. 
'This kind of experience can stay with a child and become a dominant part of their consciousness, blocking concentration and coming out as mental flashbacks so intense they induce total terror.'
Mr Williams claims their counselling programme helps children regain 'emotional control' but he says for every child they help, 'there are at least 50 others' who need it.
A massive number of Syrians have sought refuge in Jordan this month, according to a recent UNHCR report.
Around 250 Syrian refugees cross the border every day and in just four days leading up to March 18, over one thousand people had escaped the embattled country for Jordan.
The refugees are coming from the embattled northern city of Aleppo and also from the city of Dara'a which borders Jordan in the south of Syria. 
Grief: Conflict charity War Child says thousands of children carry 'deep trauma from what they have been through inside Syria
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Grief: Conflict charity War Child says thousands of children carry 'deep trauma from what they have been through inside Syria
Exodus: Around 250 Syrian refugees cross the border every day and in just four days leading up to March 18, over one thousand people escaped the embattled country for Jordan
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Exodus: Around 250 Syrian refugees cross the border every day and in just four days leading up to March 18, over one thousand people escaped the embattled country for Jordan
Arrivals at the Azraq refugee camp said they preferred to stay in the volatile and dangerous city for four years because they did not want to become refugees.
But an increasing number of armed attacks, daily shelling and aerial bombardment forced them to flee their homes.
We kept saying we would give it one more month, but now most of the people in our village have either fled or been killed, so we left 
Ismael, Syrian refugee in Jordan
One of the camps inhabitants says the situation in Dara'a became too dangerous in November when 'armed groups from all sides' came to the besieged city.
44-year-old Ismael said: 'We kept saying we would give it one more month, but now most of the people in our village have either fled or been killed, so we left.' 
Despite reaching safety, he remains traumatised by months of insecurity and the agonising decision of leaving behind his 65-year-old mother who can not walk.
'Back in Syria it was so unsafe. We didn't really sleep at night, we just lay in bed with our eyes open. 
'So when we got to Jordan, I felt a bit relieved to be safe, but I'm still so worried about my family back home and I have no way to contact them.' 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Perhaps Ozzy Ozborne said it best; Generals gathered in their masses... just like witches at black masses..evil minds that plot destruction, sorcery of death destruction, in the fields of bodies burning, as the war machine keeps turning,... death and hatred to mankind,... poisoning their brainwashed minds.- ....These people are sick, demented. All wars have been banker wars.