The photo of starving baby who weighs less than 2kg in Syria being viral on social media

News24xx.com - A harrowing image of a severely malnourished child crying in pain as he clings to a doctor in a Syrian hospital shows just how grim the current situation is in the war-torn country.

The child was pictured being carried by a nurse in a clinic in the rebel-controlled town of Hamouria, in the eastern region of the outskirts of capital Damascus. He weighs just four pounds and it is not known how old he is.

It comes a year after a picture of Omran Daquneesh captured the hearts of thousands around the world when he was pictured coated in blood and dust after his home was bombed in Aleppo.

His 10-year-old brother Ali was killed in the bomb strike in 2016. Omran became a chilling reminder of the horrific suffering Syrian children face on a day to day basis.

He has since been reunited with his family and had his name changed. The ongoing war in Syria has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands, including women and children, and has left more than half the population homeless in the past seven years.

Medics at hospitals and health clinics in Eastern Ghouta say they examine dozens of malnourished children a day – and that the number is on the rise. One has breathing difficulties, another has a feeding tube in its mouth and a third has a bandage wrapped around his tiny arm.

Yahya Abu Yahya, doctor and regional head of medical services for Turkish NGO Social Development International, which has several medical centres in Ghouta, said the group’s centres had examined 9,700 children in recent months.

"‘Of these, 80 were suffering severe acute malnutrition, 200 had moderate acute malnutrition, and about 4000 were suffering from nutritional deficiencies,’ he said."

The UN children’s fund, UNICEF defines severe acute malnutrition as the most extreme and visible form of malnutrition.

Abu Yahya said, "Many children in Eastern Ghouta are suffering from deficiencies, migraines, vision problems, depression, psychological problems".

According to UN figures, some 400,000 people live in besieged parts of Syria, the majority in Eastern Ghouta.

Despite agreement on de-escalation zones backed by regime supporters Russia and Iran and rebel sponsor Turkey, the region still has very limited access to aid. Abu Yahya said the region was not receiving basic foods children need, such as sugar, sources of protein and vitamins.

On September 23, a convoy carrying food and medical aid for some 25,000 people entered three besieged areas of Eastern Ghouta. But Abu Yahya said the aid does reach the region covers just five to 10 percent of the needs of malnourished children.

Sahar was the latest victim of Eastern Ghouta’s food crisis. On Sunday, her father carried the tiny child to her grave. Behind him, relatives walked with Sahar’s mother, nearly collapsing with grief.

 

 

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