The Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa region of Pakistan sees frequent drone attacks as part of the U.S. war efforts in the area. In an attempt to put a face on the victims for drone operators, artists there have collaborated to create a project called #NotABlugSplat.
The name comes from the gruesome, dehumanizing term drone operators sometimes use to identify the people they’ve killed, which look like a “bug splat” through their grainy video images…
The girl pictured in this installation lost both her parents and two younger siblings in a drone attack. Additional photos on the ground show other local residents with the poster and demonstrate just how enormous it really is.
Artists hope this victim’s picture will cause drone operators to see the people they’re targeting as real humans rather than simply “bugs” on a screen, perhaps leading to policy changes that could help prevent additional loss of innocent lives…
