Amid a war in Lebanon, a photographer and her subject reconnect almost 20 years later

Rania Matar was born in Lebanon to Palestinian parents and came to the US at age 20 during the Lebanese Civil War.

She went on to spend a career photographing women in the Middle East, highlighting their beauty and defiance.

Last week, as Israel began its strikes on Lebanon, Matar shared an image she had captured of a family whose house had been destroyed in 2006 during an Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon.

Among her photos was one of a little girl she named “Barbie Girl.”

Though she often wondered about her, Matar never saw the girl again until earlier this month. When Israel prepared to invade Lebanon once again, the image she posted of the young girl went viral on Instagram, reconnecting the two.