Heartbreaking image of little boy in Syria brings @KateBolduan to tears: He’s alive, we wanted you to know. https://t.co/uexYS2eyJ3
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) August 18, 2016
Many were struck by the shocking and heartbreaking photograph of 5-year-old Omran Daqneesh after it went public on Thursday morning. The video and screengrab show the aftermath of a bombing in Aleppo, Syria and gives the day-to-day life inside the city an image for those around the globe. And if you needed an indication on how powerful the shot is, look no further than CNN’s Kate Boulduan.
The CNN anchor has a history of getting emotional with her interview subjects, but this segment sways to another direction and drives home the horror we’re seeing in the war-torn nation:
“What strikes me is we shed tears, but there are no tears here. He doesn’t cry once. That little boy is in total shock. He’s stunned,” she continued, choking up. “He’s inside his home one moment and the next he’s lost in the fury of war and chaos.”
The real question is what kind of mileage will this image have and will it carry a real effect on the situation in Syria. Many forgot about the horrifying image of Alan Kurdi , the 3-year-old Syrian refugee who drowned in September and ended up becoming the face for the refugee crisis for a few weeks. The sadness of what you see within the image is there, but the idea is easy to replace when speeches, attacks, and media coverage hold public attention.
It remains to be seen what effect the image of Omran will have on the public, but one can hope that it ensures they’ll remember the real toll of this conflict.