The “green-eyed Afgan girl” from National Geographic’s famous cover photo has arrived in Italy as part of the Taliban’s expulsion of western Afghans following the Taliban takeover of the country.
The Italian government announced on Thursday that the well-known green-eyed “Afghan girl” from National Geographic magazine had arrived in Italy as part of the evacuation of western Afghans following the Taliban’s takeover of the country.
Gulla became internationally known as an Afghan refugee girl in 1984, after her photograph of war photographer Steve McCurry with piercing green eyes appeared on the cover of National Geographic. McCurry rediscovered her in 2002. The statement said that the Italian government would now help bring her into Italian life.
She arrived in Pakistan in 2014 but went into hiding when authorities accused her of buying a fake Pakistani identity card and ordered her deportation.
The office of Prime Minister Mario Duragi said that Italy had organized the removal of Sharbat Gulla after she was asked to help her leave the country.
She flew to Kabul, where the president hosted a reception for her at the presidential palace and handed her the keys to a new apartment. Italy was one of the few western countries where hundreds of Afghans were flown out of the country after the departure of US troops and the Taliban in August.
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