Amidst the chaos at the Kabul Airport during the Taliban takeover on August 17, a photo featuring a crying seven-month-old baby, who her parents left behind in the chaos, has gone viral on the internet.
According to reports, the photo came from a news agency and was posted on Twitter to help identify the baby's parents. It featured the child inside a blue plastic container as she was crying her heart out while people scrambled to leave the country because of the Taliban takeover.
Members of the news team on the ground said that the baby might have been separated from her mother and father because of the mad dash inside the Kabul airport. Airport authorities have already issued a missing person announcement on various platforms and social media channels.
Following the post, a couple came forward and claimed that they lost their baby at the airport. Local officials are trying to verify the claims and hopefully reunite the child with her parents.
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More Horrific Visuals in Kabul
The baby's photo is just one of several heartbreaking and horrific visuals from Kabul, including a viral video showing hundreds of locals running after a U.S. cargo plane on the tarmac. Panic, hopelessness, and desperation have gripped Kabul after the last plane flew out as the Taliban shut the airport down.
Netizens blamed the Taliban for the baby's fate, but some social media users also accused the U.S., which has allowed the situation in Afghanistan to worsen. According to reports, even the U.S. and allied troops were surprised at how the situation turned for the worst.
The American military had two weeks left to pull out of Afghanistan, but the militant group, which has been trying to take control of the country since the 1990s, seized power from the government on Tuesday. Fearing for their lives and harsher punishments, especially for the women, many Afghans tried to leave the country along with the Americans. Some died trying to climb the taxiing airplane.
Meanwhile, UNICEF acknowledged that the Taliban had asked them to pause their humanitarian operations for women and children in the region. In a statement, the foundation said that they are honoring the request for the safety of their workers, but they remain in contact with local leaders of all provinces who have expressed that they want the charity to continue its work in the country.
A spokesperson for UNICEF also said that they hope to resume work soon after learning that some schools have re-opened following the chaos. About 1,500 kids have been back to school, including 500 young girls. Health workers, including female nurses and doctors, have also been asked to report to work at the Health Commission. The spokesperson said that these are "encouraging signs."
How to Help Afghanistan
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that over 500,000 Afghans had been displaced since the conflict in the country, which started escalating in January. The humanitarian crisis has sent shockwaves across the world, but people can still send help to Afghanistan by donating to various charity groups who are still allowed on the ground, such as the Women for Women International, Afghanaid, the International Red Cross, the Save the Children Foundation, and UNICEF.
These charities will not only provide food, clothing, and medication for the displaced, but they may also provide for a plane ticket for the refugees, such as Miles4Migrants. Through donations from the public, these organizations may also help the displaced resettle and rebuild their lives in another country.
