The Green Eyed ‘Afghan Girl’ Will Now Live in Italy

Sharbat Gula who rose to prominence when her photograph made it to the National Geographic cover in 1985 is now in Italy. 

She arrived in Italy after being evacuated from Afghanistan.  The news was announced by Prime Minister Mario Draghi's office. 

They responded to “non-profit organisations active in Afghanistan who, after the events of last August, received Sharbat Gula's appeal to be helped to leave their country.”

Famous photographer Steve McCurry clicked her photo when she was only twelve years old, residing in a refugee camp in the Pakistan-Afghan border. 

In the photograph famously called ‘Afghan Girl’, she’s seen draped in a loose red scarf with deep green piercing eyes seriously staring at the camera. 

The photograph was named “the most recognized photograph” in the magazine's history as it captured the world’s attention. 

Her identity was unknown when she was photographed. She was then living in a refugee camp in Pakistan during Soviet’s invasion of Afghanistan. She was identified later as Sharbat Gula when she was discovered by McCurry in 2002.

Sharbat was arrested for forging her national identity card in order to stay back in Pakistan. She was placed in detention for 15 days and later deported to Afghanistan. 

Ashraf Ghani who was the Afghan President welcomed Sharbat Gula to his country. 

Speaking of Gula, he said, “As a child, she captured the hearts of millions because she was the symbol of displacement.”

“The enormous beauty, the enormous energy that she projected from her face captured hearts and became one of the most famous photographs of the 1980s and up until the 1990s,” Ghani added. 

Sharbat lost her husband several years ago who died of Hepatitis C. She has three girls while her fourth child died in infancy. 

The Italian government agencies will now assist Gula to begin a new life in Italy.