Shocking image shows Syrian refugee baby washed in puddle

A shocking image has captured the moment a Syrian refugee mother was forced to wash her newborn in a puddle on the Greek border village of Idomeni.

The image, which was widely shared on Saturday, has prompted Greek authorities to vow to move refugees from the camp on the Macedonian border within a week, The Guardian reported on Sunday.

Around 12-14,000 people are living in squalid conditions at the Idomeni refugee camp. They are staying put in the hope of crossing the Greek border.

The mother in the picture is reported to be named Sulaf and her one-month-old baby is believed to be called Bayan, according to the Daily Mail.

The image shows the infant being washed with a bottle of water over the muddy earth.

“Conditions in the camp are truly horrendous,” Sarah Collis, a nurse with the charity Doctors of the World, who has been at the camp for the past two months, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

“We have not had outbreaks of particular diseases yet but young children are very vulnerable to pneumonia and dehydration from gastroenteritis. Pregnant women who might have complications might have issues getting medical help quick enough,” Collis added.

The image comes to light as Syria enters its sixth year of civil war, which has resulted in a quarter of a million deaths, and the flight of millions of refugees.