Heartbreaking images of drowned Syrian toddler captures the Middle East's refugee crisis

Images depicting the body of a drowned toddler lying on the shores of Bodrum have gone viral, showcasing the desperation of fleeing migrants from Syria and the middle East.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (Catholic Online) - Two boats carrying fleeing immigrants capsized on its way to the Greek island of Kos, leaving 12 migrants drowned off the Turkish coast.

The Turkish media reported the toddler, still dressed in a bright red T-shirt and shorts, was identified as 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi. His 5-year-old brother also died when the boat capsized.

The boys were from Kobani, a Syrian town caught between Islamic State militants and Kurdish regional forces. The images were reposted on Twitter featuring the hashtag "#KiyiyaVuranInsanlik," meaning "Humanity washed ashore."

Hundreds of migrants attempt to take the route between Bodrum and Kos as it is only a few miles long and is among the shortest from Turkey to the Greek islands, but it is also extremely dangerous.
The first boat was overloaded and sank in international waters after leaving Bodrom, reports Turkey's private Dogan news agency. Eight people drowned from the incident, seven were rescued and two were reported missing.

Hours after the first boat sank, a rubber boat carrying Syrians from Kobani sank after leaving Bodrum. A woman and three children drowned in that incident, Dogan reports. Their bodies were discovered by employees of an aquatics sports center.

An unnamed senior Turkish naval official told Reuters that Turkish vessels have rescued nearly 100 people trying to reach Kos. 

Aid groups believe roughly 2,000 people have been crossing into Greece's eastern islands in August alone. The U.N. Human Refugee agency says over 2,500 people have died this year in their attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea.

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