Irish rugby star has powerful words in response to the Syrian crisis

Over the last 48 hours the biggest news story in Europe has been the refugee crisis in Hungary and Turkey.

Following the emergence of distressing images of a young refugee, named Aylan Kurdi, found lying face down on a beach in Bodrum, many people have been expressing their opinions on the matter.

Among these has been former Munster rugby star Donncha O’Callaghan. The 36-year old Cork native has been a UNICEF ambassador for the past six years. In recent times he was among a group who visited Syria.

He spoke about the difficult decisions that families in Syria have been facing for the last four years.

Speaking as a father he said that seeing the image in the newspaper was horrible. Knowing the conditions that these parents are living in he said they need our help.

During his visit he noted that many of the refuges in the camp have immense respect for Irish people. UNICEF staff explained it is because of Irish peacekeepers in the area whom they know will help them.

His comments on the situation are both heartfelt and powerful. You can see his the full video below: