An October 29 regime air strike on the rebel-held near Damascus severely wounded Karim and killed his mother, according to relatives and the doctor who treated him
Photos of Karim have since been shared hundreds of times on different social media platforms.
Many Syrian users have posted photos of themselves covering their left eyes to highlight Karim’s suffering.
The Syria Civil Defense, whose rescue workers are commonly known as the White Helmets, also tweeted in support.
#WhiteHelmets in #SolidaritywithKarim pic.twitter.com/iSzkBTpPqa
— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) December 18, 2017
A solidarity protest was organized by the medical crew whom took care the case of the child Karim.
A solidarity protest organized by the medical crew whom took care the case of the child Karim who lost his eye and broke the skull of his head and lost his mother because of #Assad regime cannon bombs dropped on them in #EasternGhouta#SolidarityWithKarim @Ghouta_GMC pic.twitter.com/6CCKR9B0yz
— Ali Husni Naief (@AliHusniNaief) December 21, 2017
But Karim’s story has also caught the attention of politicians, journalists and activists outside Syria.
Journalists and staff of the Anadolu Agency covered their eyes in solidarity with Syrian child Karim.
Anadolu Agency staffers show support to #Syrian infant
Two-month old Karim has become symbol of resistance against Bashar Al-Assad regimehttps://t.co/9wDupL8z3u #BabyKarim I see you #EasternGhouta siege must end pic.twitter.com/lwFCkYIhQ1
— ANADOLU AGENCY (ENG) (@anadoluagency) December 21, 2017
Staff at the German newspaper Bild took a group photo to "make a statement" about the ongoing violence in Syria.
Das zwei Monate alte Baby Karim verlor bei einem Angriff Assads sein linkes Auge und seine Mutter. Darum setzt die @BILD-Redaktion heute ein Zeichen gegen die Gewalt des Assad-Regimes und seiner Verbündeten gegen knapp 400.000 Eingeschlossene in Ost-Ghouta.#SolidarityWithKarim pic.twitter.com/GZtzEVUVVs
— BILD (@BILD) December 19, 2017
The campaign even reached the United Nations, where British ambassador Matthew Rycroft tweeted a photograph of himself at the Security Council, his right hand over his eye.
When we sit around the #UNSC & warn that inaction will mean more people are going to die. More schools bombed. More children scarred. This is what we mean.
We must see an end to the bombardment & siege of #EasternGhouta.#SolidarityWithKarim pic.twitter.com/8Io85VlDdF
— Matthew Rycroft (@MatthewRycroft1) December 19, 2017
Home to an estimated 400,000 people, towns and villages in the Eastern Ghouta have been under siege by government forces since 2013. But despite the area being designated a "de-escalation zone", hostilities have intensified in recent weeks.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Monday that the situation in the area had reached a "critical point", with life "slowly becoming impossible".
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