Sharbat Gula, the ‘green-eyed’ Afghan girl featured on the cover of National Geographic magazine in 1985, has resurfaced in the news. What happened to her?
Sharbat rose to prominence after being captured by American photojournalist Steve McCurry in 1985.
She was an adolescent girl with green eyes who wore a red headscarf in the classic photograph at the time. She is seen in the photograph staring intently at the camera.
The artwork came to symbolize the suffering of Afghans as a result of a lengthy war.
Where is Sharbat Gula now?
The office of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi stated on Thursday (November 25) that Sharbat had arrived safely in Rome.
Just months after the Taliban retook control of her homeland, Italy has provided a safe haven for the Afghan woman.
“In response to requests from civil society, particularly non-profit organizations working in Afghanistan, who, following the events of August, have supported Sharbat Gula in her plea for assistance to leave her country, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers has made this possible, organizing for her to travel to Italy as part of the larger evacuation program in place for Afghan citizens and the Government’s plan for their reception and integration, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers has made this possible, organizing for her to travel to Italy as part of
The measures of the Italian government were widely applauded by internet users.
Sharbat, who is now 49 years old, was just 12 years old at the time the photo was shot. She is currently the widowed mother of four children.
A look at the ‘green-eyed’ Afghan girl’s life after 1985
Although the ‘green-eyed’ Afghan Girl first appeared on the cover of National Geographic in 1985, her identity was not confirmed until 2002.
Steve McCurry came back to the area in 2002 and found her.
Sharbat was again in the news in 2016 when he was arrested by Pakistani authorities for reportedly possessing a false ID card. The accusations were dismissed by her.
The mother of four was deported to Afghanistan after her detention, where she was greeted cordially by then-Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who even gave her the keys to an apartment.
How many refugees has Italy evacuated?
Italy claimed to have evacuated approximately 5,000 Afghans in August 2021. According to reports, this is the largest number of refugees evacuated by a European Union country.
Sharbat arrived in Rome roughly three months after the US concluded its complete troop pullout from Afghanistan.
The Taliban seized control of much of the country, including Kabul, in the final weeks of the retreat.