WARNING: Contains graphic content.
TwitterSocial media can be a powerful tool, particularly when put in the hand of a young girl with the power to make us see the harsh, horrifying realities of war.
Seven-year-old Bana Alabed lives in the Syrian capital of Aleppo with her mother, Fatemah, and her brothers. Her home is a war zone; the epicentre of the Syrian civil war that has caused unforeseen carnage and one of the biggest refugee crises in history.
Bana wants you to understand the pain, fear and tragedy she sees everyday so she takes to Twitter to show the world what it’s like to live in a war zone.
I am very afraid I will die tonight. This bombs will kill me now. – Bana #Aleppo pic.twitter.com/KqVHwqRClK
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) October 2, 2016
" praying here in #Aleppo tonight as I hear bomb fall. My soul can be taken anytime pic.twitter.com/CfuZJJR5HI
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) September 26, 2016
Her tweets range from the heart-breaking to the graphic.
She shares the true realities of war, uncensored.
Heartbreaking this baby traumatised wouldn't go of the nurse treating him we crying here. – Fatemah #Aleppo pic.twitter.com/FxpbSFVWPa
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) October 2, 2016
2 phosphorus & 2 barrel bombs hit near our house it shook the ground, we cried. – Fatemah #Aleppo
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) September 30, 2016
Over the last 10 days 200 children were killed. We fear the worst now #Aleppo
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) September 29, 2016
This is my friend house bombed, she's killed. I miss her so much #Aleppo pic.twitter.com/5y59rorpeZ
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) September 26, 2016
Bana reports on the fraught situation as she watches the outside world crumble around her home.
She often asks the world for our help, aid and prayers too.
Her desperate pleas are harrowing, when you really grasp who and where these tweets are coming from.
Bomb bomb bomb…we don't know if we will die tonight, please please pray for us, I promise I keep tweeting the whole night- Fatemah #Aleppo
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) October 2, 2016
Bomb hit next house. Pray for us please please please please or save us….. Oh dear world
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) October 1, 2016
Doctors in #Aleppo leave some people to die and treat those who have chance to survive . That's #Aleppo dear world. – Fatemah
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) October 1, 2016
Water is scarce now dear world. Hospitals food everything ruined – Fatemah #Aleppo
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) September 30, 2016
Please let me be happy and stop the war – Bana #Aleppo
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) September 30, 2016
Stop the bombing now so I can go to school now – Bana #Aleppo
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) September 30, 2016
At last count, Bana has over 13,000 followers who watch on in horror as this brave young girl narrates the political upheaval and consequential violence between Sunni militants and the Syrian government.
Sometimes Fatemah, her mother, tweets poignant political messages and cries for help from her daughter’s account.
Destroying hospital is not war, it's crime and crime against humanity. – Fatemah #Aleppo
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) October 1, 2016
Assad army are storming the city. We don't know what will happen but surely Russia planes will many people. – Fatemah #Aleppo
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) October 1, 2016
It's not about terrorism, we are struggling to survive difficult be honest. We only tweet the truth & yes it hurts – Fatemah #Aleppo
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) September 30, 2016
Every family in #Aleppo lost a person to this war, dear world why you watching this massacre?. – Fatemah
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) September 30, 2016
Dear assad Putin, why don't you just let us flee and you will know then if who you are bombing are terrorists?. – Fatemah #Aleppo
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) September 30, 2016
https://twitter.com/AlabedBana/status/781597903924125697
Bana puts it well when she says in a Twitter video, ‘I hate war. And the world has forgotten us.’
I… Hate… War. And the world has forgotten us.. Aleppo pic.twitter.com/yeTjREZWmj
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) September 24, 2016
Please stop killing us we need peace. I need peace to become a teacher #Aleppo pic.twitter.com/mYfF0Zmngv
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) September 27, 2016
So let’s not forget this young girl and her family.
Hello world we are still alive. Wake up this morning alive. – Fatemah #Aleppo pic.twitter.com/EZz7xqbJ6E
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) October 3, 2016
Thanks to so many kind people who sent so many msgs, we love you all. – Fatemah #Aleppo
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) October 2, 2016
Drawing with the brothers before the planes come. We need peace to draw #Aleppo pic.twitter.com/PfNpjD6nqQ
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) September 26, 2016
They are afraid and tired, but most importantly they are bravely surviving horrors that most of us will never come close to understanding.
So please don’t ignore her tweets. Share them. Raise awareness. Help people understand that the war in Syria is affecting daughters, mothers and brothers who just want peace for their families.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.