EUROPE-MIGRANTS/IRAQ-CHILDREN-FUNERAL Bodies of two migrant children drowned off Turkey returned to Iraq for burial

Record ID: 141240

  • Title: EUROPE-MIGRANTS/IRAQ-CHILDREN-FUNERAL Bodies of two migrant children drowned off Turkey returned to Iraq for burial
  • Date: 10th September 2015
  • Summary: KERBALA, IRAQ (SEPTEMBER 9, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF VEHICLES CARRYING COFFINS OF CHILDREN DRIVING TO CEMETERY RELATIVES CONSOLING FATHER OF DROWNED CHILDREN AT CEMETERY MEN UNTYING COFFIN DRAPED BY IRAQI FLAG FROM BACK OF TRUCK PICTURES OF THE TWO DEAD MIGRANT CHILDREN 8-YEAR-OLD HAIDER HADI AND HIS 12-YEAR-OLD SISTER ZAINAB HADI RELATIVES AROUND OPEN COFFIN WITH BODIES INSIDE WRAPPED WITH WHITE SHROUD BEING PLACED ON GROUND BY MOURNERS BODY WRAPPED IN WHITE SHROUD INSIDE OPEN WOODEN CASKET MOTHER CRYING OVER BODIES WRAPPED IN WHITE SHROUD OF HER CHILDREN (AUDIO OF MOTHER SAYING: "HOW CAN I LEAVE YOU?") MEN CARRYING BODIES TO FRESHLY DUG GRAVES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) AUNT OF DROWNED CHILDREN, UMM ALI, SAYING: "They left in search of a life better than this life and look at the result. Their two children died and the mother is still haunted by the experience she has witnessed at sea. Whenever she closes her eyes, she sees herself drowning. She was saved by her little girl who kept hold of her mother's hair and screamed 'Mama'. The parliament and the government are to blame. Where is the guilt of these children who drowned? People are forced to leave because of poverty and injustice. Our country is rich and look at the fate of our sons." RELATIVES AND MOURNERS STANDING OVER GRAVES WOMEN RELATIVES NEAR GRAVES CRYING MEN PLACING IRAQI FLAG OVER GRAVE MOTHER AND WOMEN RELATIVES NEAR GRAVE MOTHER YELLING IN FRONT OF GRAVES OF HER CHILDREN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) NEIGHBOUR OF THE FAMILY, KHADEEJA MOHAMEED, SAYING: "Zainab's father spent more than 15 days on the island and he was hesitant to leave. Each time he made up his mind to go, he changed his mind afterwards. But he was encouraged by a Syrian man who was with him and told him that he and his family would also go with them, so they left. It seems that the boat was not good enough. Eventually the boat was hit by a strong wave and it capsized on top of them. The two children of the Syrian man and his wife were drowned and the Syrian man jumped from the boat and swam to the shore, unaware of the fate of his child." VARIOUS OF RELATIVES CRYING AND CONSOLING EACH OTHERS
  • Embargoed: 25th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAE6GO7AFPHW9GKQQFORP04RBOL
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES
    The bodies of two Iraqi migrant children, who drowned near the Turkish resort town of Bodrum last week, were returned to Iraq on Wednesday (September 9) for burial.
    Twelve-year-old Zainab Hadi and her eight-year-old brother Haider Hadi drowned while attempting to reach the Greek Island of Kos with their family.
    Their bodies arrived at Baghdad on Wednesday morning and were then taken to the the holy Shi'ite city of Kerbala for burial.
    Relatives of the children told Reuters that the family were on the same boat as the three-year-old migrant, Aylan Kurdi whose death shocked the world.
    The children's mother attended the funeral, collapsing on the ground in tears and wailing as the bodies, wrapped in white shrouds, were laid into graves.
    In an attempt to get away from the violence in Iraq, the children's father, Ahmed Hadi took his family to Turkey, where they stayed for two weeks before attempting the crossing to Greece.
    The children's aunt said she blamed the Iraqi government for what happened;
    "They left in search of a life better than this life and look at the result. Their two children died and the mother is still haunted by the experience she has witnessed at sea. Whenever she closes her eyes, she sees herself drowning. She was saved by her little girl who kept hold of her mother's hair and screamed 'Mama'. The parliament and the government are to blame. Where is the guilt of these children who drowned? People are forced to leave because of poverty and injustice. Our country is rich and look at the fate of our sons," said Umm Ali.
    A neighbour of the family explained how the children's father was unsure about making the crossing.
    "Zainab's father spent more than 15 days on the island and he was hesitant to leave. Each time he made up his mind to go, he changed his mind afterwards. But he was encouraged by a Syrian man who was with him and told him that he and his family would also go with them, so they left. It seems that the boat was not good enough. Eventually the boat was hit by a strong wave and it capsized on top of them. The two children of the Syrian man and his wife were drowned and the Syrian man jumped from the boat and swam to the shore, unaware of the fate of his child," Khadeeja Mohameed said.
    A photograph of Aylan Kurdi's tiny body in a bright red T-shirt and dark shorts, face-down in the surf, appeared in international media, prompting sympathy and outrage at the perceived inaction of developed nations in helping refugees.
    Hundreds of thousands of refugees from wars in the Middle East, along with economic migrants fleeing poverty in Africa and Asia, have braved the Mediterranean Sea in order to reach Greece - their gateway to Europe.
    Nearly all first reach the EU's southern and eastern edges before pressing on for richer countries further north and west, above all Germany, which has emphasised its moral duty to accept those fleeing genuine peril.
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