Little Amal meets schoolchildren from both sides of Belfast peace wall

A giant child puppet that has become an international symbol of young people fleeing conflict and persecution has joined school pupils from both sides of Northern Ireland’s community divide on a visit to Belfast.

Little Amal is a 12ft puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee.

The artwork was created to represent children fleeing war, violence and persecution across the world.

Since 2021, Amal – which means hope in Arabic – has travelled to 160 towns and cities in 15 countries and been welcomed by an estimated two million people.

On Friday, the puppet made an appearance at a peace wall in Belfast that separates the nationalist Falls Road with the unionist Shankill Road.

Children from St Mary’s Primary School on the Falls side of the wall and Malvern Primary School on the Shankill side joined together to greet Amal and an identical puppet and exchange flowers with them.

Amal will take part in a number of events in Belfast before making the short journey to Co Londonderry for events in Derry city.