Toddler Fleeing Syrian Conflict Found Alone in Jordanian Desert

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Category: World News - Europe

Published on Wednesday, 19 February 2014 07:44

Written by Janet Walker

Marwan, a four year old displaced refugee, has become the face of the Syrian conflict as he was found by United Nation workers wandering alone, separated from his family, in the Jordanian desert.

The photo of the toddler, barely able to carry the plastic bag of possessions, walking toward the UN workers, with no other person in sight was blasted virally on the instant messaging platform twitter and picked up by news agencies around the world.

Piecing together the sketchy details, other images of Marwan have been found by news services documenting the struggles of the Syrian people as they flee their war ravaged homeland for Jordan or surrounding countries.

Marwan, who was temporarily separated from his family, had the wherewithal and courage to keep walking, through the extreme temperatures differences of both night and day, through the fear and other severe incapacitating emotions with as much comprehension of his situation as a four year old can have, he persevered.

Millions of refugees have fled Bashar al-Assad regime since the war broke out in spring of 2011. For the refugees the trek to freedom usually begins at night, taking only what they can carry, crossing the desert separating the two countries to avoid detection, and continues through the day. The people, attempting to escape Assad’s tyrannical rule, deal with extreme temperature changes, fear, loss, mental anguish and generally post traumatic stress disorder.

News agencies have reported Marwan has been reunited with his family upon crossing the Jordanian border.

Sources: Various

Image from Andrew Harper UNHCR twitter