Omran Daqneesh: Article Analysis

In August 2016, newspapers and social media outlets around the world showcased a photo of a Syrian toddler named Omran Daqneesh. He is sitting in an ambulance, covered in dirt, rubble, and blood, waiting for help. His horrific state shocked the world and reminded us of the very real trauma Syrians experience everyday in the midst of a brutal civil war. Omran Daqneesh became a symbol of the lack of solidarity humans have for each other and their plights, even when it comes to children. Unfortunately, aside from certain media agendas, children are often forgotten. Case in point, the New York Times article, “A ‘High Degree of Miserable’ in a Refugee Swollen Greece” gave insight to one of the many refugee camps in and around Europe, but only mention children in the camp twice. Those two subtle mentions prompt questions about how children refugees handle their journey and struggles. Their development, education, and healthcare needs are disregarded because of their immigration status, leaving them with subpar conditions and little access to important opportunities. Children immigrants and refugees are the most overlooked group, but require serious attention, when it comes to policymaking or aid because their formative years of development are spent in a sate of temporary permanence and trauma. Temporary …show more content…
While Imran Daqneesh and other children are photographed to created empathy and a sense of solidarity in the global north, youth are overlooked and not considered thoroughly when dealing with this crisis. Due to Western geographic imaginaries, the notion that there are as many migrant children as there actually are has created a problem with lack of aid, development, and necessary change in camps and cities. Global leader are not looking after global citizens or the next generation. It is time the world realizes the conditions young refugee children are forced to endure, with or without a