The celebratory 'Happy Birthday' tune highlights the somber reality of displaced Syrian kids

Nine years on, the civil war continues with no end in sight in ad from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Published On
May 04, 2020

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While the world has been dealing with the coronavirus pandemic for several months, the people of Syria have been suffering through a civil war, the destruction of their homes, displacement and war crimes for nine years.

A new spot for Fundación ACNUR Argentina, that country’s arm of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, begins with a subtle piano track, as scenes of somber children appear in time with the notes.

Images of kids in refugee camps, on the road with their parents, squatting in dirt camps show the reality of the cost of the war. More than 7 million children have been displaced in less than a decade.

As the music speeds up, the tune becomes clear: It’s “Happy Birthday,” though no one wants to celebrate yet another anniversary of the war. The spot is from agency AnyGivenDay.