While the Syrian refugee crisis is going on, every day we’re witnessing new things that restore our faith in humanity. A few days back, we heard about a viral photo of a refugee couple embracing and kissing in a station in Hungary.
And now we’ve come across the story of Aslan, a 17-year-old boy from war-torn Damascus in Syria who has walked over 500 km carrying his husky puppy.
The puppy, named Rose, even has a ‘passport’, so that the pair has no trouble looking for a more stable living situation in Europe.
Aslan and Rose have reached the Greek island of Lesbos where from where most refugees are making their way further up north into Europe.
“Some people will ask – you have only a small bag?””Yes.””And you bring your dog?””Yes.””Why?””I love my dog!”Many animal lovers will relate to this 17-year-old boy from Damascus, Syria. And we’ve seen many like him carrying their animals with them on the long journey from Syria, across the Mediterranean Sea and through Europe. When forced to flee home because of war, many people would never dream of leaving their pets behind.
Posted by UNHCR on Saturday, 19 September 2015
A record number of at least 430,000 refugees and migrants have taken rickety boats across the Mediterranean to Europe this year – 309,000 via Greece, according to International Organization for Migration figures.On Wednesday, at least 2,500 people, mainly Afghan and Syrian refugees, landed on Lesbos within hours.Why the numbers rose so quickly over the last two days was unclear, but the Mediterranean will be hit increasingly by storms as autumn progresses towards winter, making the crossing too dangerous for most refugees to attempt it.Most arrive on the islands of Lesvos and Kos, just a few miles from Turkey, and soon head to mainland Greece from where they continue their journey to northern European countries.
h/t UNHCR
