‘Afghan Girl’ from National Geographic Magazine Cover Obtained Refugee Status in Italy

National Geographic magazine’s famous green-eyed “Afghan Girl” arrived in Italy as part of the West’s evacuation of Afghans following the Taliban takeover, the Italian government said Thursday . A statement from the Italian government’s press office said Italy organized her evacuation after she asked for help to leave the country. The Italian government will now help him integrate into life in Italy, the statement said. The striking portrait of the then 12-year-old Sharbat Gula, a Pashtun orphan in a refugee camp on the Afghan-Pakistani border, was taken in 1984 and published the following year. Gula was found decades later living in Pakistan after no one knew her name for years. Now in her forties, Gula has arrived in Rome, according to the office of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. “In 1985, thanks to the photograph of Steve McCurry, who the previous year had depicted her at a very young age in a refugee camp in Peshawar for the cover of National Geographic Magazine, Sharbat Gula gained worldwide notoriety, to the point of symbolizing the vicissitudes and conflicts of the historical phase that Afghanistan and its people were going through “, reads a statement issued by the office of the Italian Prime Minister.” Responding to requests from civil society and in particular from organizations in non-profit organizations active in Afghanistan who, after the events of last August, received a call from Sharbat Gula to be helped to leave their country, the Prime Minister took charge and organized his transfer to Italy in the broader framework of the evacuation program for Afghan citizens and the government’s plan for their reception and integration, ”the statement continued. Italy was one of many Western countries that evacuated hundreds of Afghans from the country by plane after US forces left and the Taliban took control in August. CNN has asked the Italian government whether Gula’s family has also been granted refugee status, but has yet to receive a response. In 2016, McCurry told CNN the story behind the photograph. “I knew she had an amazing look, a penetrating gaze,” he said. “But there was a crowd of people around us, the dust was swirling around, and that was before digital cameras and you never knew what would happen with the film.” McCurry said he knew the image was special when he developed it. showed it to the editor of National Geographic, and he jumped to his feet and yelled, “This is our next cover,” he added. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

National Geographic magazine’s famous green-eyed “Afghan Girl” arrived in Italy as part of the West’s evacuation of Afghans following the Taliban takeover, the Italian government said Thursday .

A statement from the Italian government’s press office said Italy organized its evacuation after asking for help to leave the country. The Italian government will now help his integration into life in Italy, the statement said.

The striking portrait of the then 12-year-old Sharbat Gula, a Pashtun orphan in a refugee camp on the Afghan-Pakistani border, was taken in 1984 and published the following year. Gula was found decades later living in Pakistan when no one knew her name for years.

Now in her 40s, Gula has arrived in Rome, according to the office of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

“In 1985, thanks to the photography of Steve McCurry, who the previous year had staged it at a very young age in a refugee camp in Peshawar for the cover of National Geographic Magazine, Sharbat Gula gained worldwide notoriety, to the point of symbolize the vicissitudes and conflicts of the historical phase that Afghanistan and its people were going through, ”reads a statement issued by the office of the Italian Prime Minister.

“Responding to the demands of civil society actors and in particular non-profit organizations active in Afghanistan who, after the events of last August, received Sharbat Gula’s appeal to be helped to leave their country, the Prime Minister took it upon himself and organized his transfer to Italy as part of the broader evacuation program for Afghan citizens and the government’s plan for their reception and integration, “the statement continued.

Italy was one of many Western countries that airlifted hundreds of Afghans out of the country after US forces left and the Taliban took control in August.

CNN has asked the Italian government whether Gula’s family has also been granted refugee status, but has yet to receive a response.

In 2016, McCurry told CNN the story behind the photograph.

“I knew she had an amazing look, a penetrating gaze,” he said. “But there was a crowd of people around us, the dust was swirling around, and that was before digital cameras and you never knew what would happen with the film.”

McCurry said he knew the image was special when he developed it.

“I showed it to the editor of National Geographic, and he jumped to his feet and yelled, ‘this is our next cover,'” he added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.