These shocking images show a baby whose nose was eaten by rats after it was abandoned on the streets of Aleppo in war-torn Syria.
The baby, who has reportedly been dubbed “Lynn” since she arrived in hospital, was found on the streets of Aleppo after being abandoned and her face and forehead were apparently gnawed at by rodents.
The images were shared online by a doctor who reportedly works in the paediatric ward of a hospital in Aleppo.
The doctor reportedly said that the baby was found on a street full of rubbish on Monday, 24th January, and she was taken to hospital with wounds believed to have been sustained in an attack carried out by rats.
The doctor, reportedly named Lama Al-Qadi, said the baby was operated on immediately, and despite the best efforts of surgeons, her face was irreparably damaged by the rats, which appear to have eaten her nose almost entirely.
Dr Al-Qadi said: “What sin did this child commit for her to be thrown out after her birth into the street, so that her face, her childhood and her soul were eaten by rats?”
The Director of the University Hospital in Aleppo, named as Dr Maher Araj, said that the girl was admitted to hospital “in a very poor health condition, as she was suffering from a crushed face and damage to her extremities as a result of the severe cold, in addition to a thoracic respiratory injury.”
He added: “The necessary emergency operations were performed on the girl, and her health condition is currently above acceptable, and she will be handed over to the relevant authorities as soon as her condition improves.”
He added that there were three other children in the hospital with similar injuries.
Aleppo was once one of Syria’s richest cities, but now there are reports of widespread poverty and turmoil after 10 years of civil war.
The city was particularly affected by the Battle of Aleppo, which lasted from 2012 to 2016 and which caused widespread devastation in the city.
It is currently unclear if the authorities are looking for baby Lynn’s parents.