A poignant obituary to the Syrian child pictured dead washed up on the beach has been posted in the Australian newspaper, the Sydney Morning Herald.

The obit, with a picture of a teddy bear, reads:

"Aylan, You did not deserve to drown in the coldness of water and the coldness of human indifference.

"You were not a Migrant. You were not a Refugee. You were a 3 yr old little boy wanting to play safely, away from the threats of violence and war.


"In Heaven, you will be nursed by those who held you, by those who kissed you and by those who risked everything in the hope of you reaching the shores safely."

It ends: "Rest In Peace Aylan Kurdi. May God forgive us for failing you."

The obit is anonymous.


The world reacted to the powerful images of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi's body washed up, face down on a Turkish beach, and has become the human face of the unfolding refugee crisis. International outpourings of grief and calls for more to be done to help desperate Syrians fleeing conflict has headlined newspapers across the world.