The video that shows the Syrian peace talks cannot come soon enough
Aid worker shown in footage sitting silently next to the body of a young girl who drowned
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.As Syrian peace talks stalled on Monday, a video emerged showing a rescue worker sitting in silence next to the body of a young girl who washed up on a beach on the Greek island of Lesvos.
The footage shows the man kneeling down while protecting the body of the girl, who is wrapped in a foil sheet.
According to Lighthouse - Refugee Relief on Lesvos, the girl was found by a volunteer nurse and local resident on Sunday morning.
Bodies of baby girls should not wash up on beaches. But this morning it happened again on Lesvos. The small body was...
Posted by Lighthouse - Refugee Relief on Lesvos on Sunday, 24 January 2016
Sharing the video, the refugee relief organisation wrote:
"Bodies of baby girls should not wash up on beaches. But this morning it happened again on Lesvos. The small body was found by Lighthouse nurse and local resident Marit while walking her dogs on Kagia beach next to Skala Sikamineas.
"Our doctor on-call, Mustafa, and a small team of Lighthouse volunteers were called to the scene to keep it private and dignified while waiting for the police to arrive.
"Living on Kagia beach with only a few neighbours, Marit and her family have been helping refugees arrive there, day and night, for many years.
"'This is the first time I have found a body on the beach. Before I have found bodies that I thought were dead but were in fact alive and could be saved. This is something that can happen anytime to our friends and neighbours. It is a part of life here. Sometimes the fishermen even pull up bodies in their nets. Still, it is impossible to prepare for what I saw today. In one way, as a nurse, I am relieved I was the one who found her, so that another volunteer didn’t have to.'
"Locals on Lesvos shouldn’t have to worry while walking their dogs. Fishermen shouldn’t have to worry while taking up their nets. Families fleeing from war should not have to lose their babies on the Aegean Sea. Bodies of baby girls should not wash up on beaches."
Greek Islanders are to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for "opening up their hearts and homes to save hundreds of thousands fleeing war and terror".
At least 113 refugees have died while making the dangerous crossing from Turkey to Greece since the beginning of 2016, according to the International Organisation for Migration.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments