NEW YORK (February 3, 2017) – A powerful new UNICEF film presenting the parallel stories of a young Syrian refugee and a World War II child refugee was released today as a stark illustration of the challenges that refugee children continue to face.

The 120-second film, created with 180 Amsterdam, switches between the stories of Ahmed, 12, from Damascus in Syria, and Harry, 92, from Berlin, Germany. During the film, the two tell their individual stories of being forced to flee their homes and their harrowing journeys in search of safety. Despite being separated by over 70 years, the two stories contain many similarities, and the film interposes footage of Syrian refugees with historical footage from World War II.

In the film, Ahmed and Harry describe horrific details of their experiences, including attacks on schools and homes, being forced to flee in fear of their lives, and dangerous journeys on land and sea. 

Harry finally found sanctuary in the United Kingdom, where he has lived ever since, whilst Ahmed reached safety in Sweden, where he was reunited with his family and is now back in school.

Across the globe, nearly 50 million children have been uprooted – 28 million of them driven from their homes by conflicts not of their making, and millions more migrating in the hope of finding a better, safer life.

Often traumatized by the conflicts and violence they are fleeing, they face further dangers along the way, including death and injury during perilous land and sea journeys, malnourishment and dehydration, trafficking, kidnapping, rape and even murder.

“The needs of refugees have never been greater. Worldwide 28 million children have been uprooted by conflict, driven from their homes by violence and terror. We should not simply see them as refugees or migrants, but as children first,” said Caryl M. Stern, President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

Children now make up more than half of the world’s refugees, despite the fact they account for less than a third of the global population. In 2015, around 45% of all child refugees came from just two countries – Syria and Afghanistan - while roughly three-quarters of the world’s child refugees come from just 10 countries. Syria accounts for the largest number of child refugees, with more than 2.3 million child refugees registered with UNHCR, with Afghanistan accounting for a further 1.3 million.

About UNICEF
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to put children first. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States. Together, we are working toward the day when no children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.

For more information, contact:
Sophie Aziakou, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, 917.720.1397, saziakou@unicefusa.org