The image is heartbreaking, but is just one of many.
A father cradles the lifeless bodies of his cherubic twin babies who look like they could just be sleeping, but are in fact, dead.
He strokes their hair and chokes back tears, mumbling, “Say goodbye, baby, say goodbye” to their lifeless bodies, according to an Associated Press (AP) report.
Little Aya and Ahmed were just nine months old, barely walking, barely talking, with their whole lives ahead of them. But now, no more.
It’s a terrible sight to see whether you are a parent or not. But as a parent myself, the look of pure devastation and hopelessness on this father’s face really affected me. I can’t even start to imagine what he must have been feeling at that moment, and how life can ever be normal for him from now.
What happened?
Abdel Hameed Alyousef, 29, is a shop owner living in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun. On Tuesday 4 April, a suspected chemical attack hit this very town.
When the airstrike took place, Alyousef told the AP, “I was right beside them and I carried them outside the house with their mother. They were conscious at first, but 10 minutes later we could smell the odor.”
The twins and Alyousef’s wife Dalal Ahmed, became very sick. He rushed them to paramedics and reassured they were in safe hands, went back to look for the rest of his family.
He only found devastation and death. Alyousef discovered the bodies of two of his brothers, two nephews and a niece, as well as neighbors and friends. “I couldn’t save anyone, they’re all dead now,” he told the AP.
Later, he discovered that his beloved children and wife had died too.
The loss of innocence.
Who is to be blamed for this latest attack?
Many leaders around the world blame the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad for this deadly attack, that saw dozens of people – including many children – dead.
According to reports, the victims breathed in a poison that possibly contained a nerve agent, bringing about a painful and torturous death. Witnesses have said they saw many of the affected writhing, gasping for breath and foaming at the mouth as a result of the lethal poison.
The toxic substance is reported to have spread following the air-attack in the early morning hours of Tuesday.
The attack appeared to be the deadliest chemical attack in Syria since August 2013.
Mums and dads, let’s spare a thought for the thousands of Syrian parents who have lost they nearest and dearest. No parent wants to outlive their children and the agony of this is made so much worse when the child’s death is senseless.
Watch this video:
theAsianparent team is devastated at the unnecessary loss of these young lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected and their families.