The heartbroken father of a three-year-old boy who drowned while fleeing Syria with his family in September will be delivering an alternate Christmas message on Channel 4 this week.
Abdullah Kurdi, whose son's image will forever be ingrained in the public consciousness, will address the refugee crisis in an appeal which is due to be broadcast at 3.35 pm on Friday.
The grief stricken father, whose son's untimely death sparked global outrage and led to much international debate, urges members of the public to consider the plight of the families around the world.
"At this time of year I would like to ask you all to think about the pain of fathers, mothers and children who are seeking peace and security," he pleads.
Abdullah, who also lost his wife and other son during their attempt to seek refuge, attempts to shed light on the lived experience of thousands of his countrymen, explaining: "We Syrians leave our country due to war. We all are afraid for our children, for our honour."
"There are barrel bombs, explosions and also Daesh. We have hundreds of thousands of problems," he insists as he reflects on his family's decision to board a boat in the hopes of making their way to safety of Germany or Sweden.
Reaching out to the public, Abdullah insists he wants people to focus their attention on children so no other child meets the same tragic ending his sons endured, saying: "I want to help children because they know nothing about life except for laughing and playing. That's all they know."
"So it's a problem for children if we don't look after them and take care of them," Abdullah, who now lives in Iraq, said as he reflected on the issue and hoped for a better future.
