Horrified New Yorkers witnessed the grim reality of life in Syria as they viewed graphic photographs smuggled out of the war-torn country . An exhibition of gruesome torture images showing eye gougings , strangulation and the effects of long-term starvation , is being staged at the city 's United Nations headquarters . About 25 pictures from a collection of 55,000 are on display this week , in an initiative sponsored by the US , Britain , France , Qatar and Saudi Arabia , as the conflict in Syria moves into its fifth year . Some were visibly distressed as they viewed the horrific pictures , which were smuggled out of Syria between 2011 and mid-2013 . Former war crimes prosecutors have described the images as 'clear evidence ' of systematic torture and mass killings in Syria 's three-year-long civil war . Scroll down for video . Distressing : A woman covers her mouth as she views shocking images sumggled out of Syria on display at the UN headquarters in New York . Shocked : Another visitor reacts after examining some of the 25 pictures of dead bodies in Syr . They were taken by a former military police photographer who has been identified by the code name 'Caesar ' . Britain 's UN Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said the aim of the exhibition was to raise awareness of the human rights abuses that President Bashar al-Assad 's troops have been accused of committing against the Syrian people . 'As the conflict in Syria enters its fifth year , the number of those killed and displaced has reached 220,000 and 7.6million , and over 3.8million have been forced to flee the country , ' Mr Lyall Grant said . 'We hope that this exhibition will serve as a reminder of the imperative to pursue a political solution to the conflict with utmost urgency to end the suffering of the Syrian people . ' Syrian 's UN Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari was not immediately available for comment on the photos . Caesar was a senior sergeant in Syria 's army who spent 13 years working as a forensic photographer , say former war crimes prosecutors who examined the photos . Lawyers acting for Qatar commissioned the examination of the evidence . Qatar , like Saudi Arabia , is strongly opposed to Assad . Between September 2011 and August 2013 , Caesar worked at a military hospital , taking photos of bodies from three detention centres in the Damascus area . He smuggled copies of those photos out of the hospital on memory sticks hidden in his shoe . The UN Security Council viewed the photos during an informal meeting last April . Russia and China vetoed a bid in May to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court for possible prosecution of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the civil war . About 25 pictures from a collection of 55,000 are on display this week in an initiative sponsored by the US , Britain , France , Qatar and Saudi Arabia , as the conflict in Syria moves into its fifth year . Graphic : Images showing eye gougings , strangulation and the effects of long-term starvation are on display at the city 's United Nations headquarters . Former war crimes prosecutors have described the images as 'clear evidence ' of systematic torture and mass killings in Syria 's three-year-long civil war . The UN representative of the Syrian National Coalition , Najib Ghadbian , told The Associated Press that Syria 's representatives at the U.N. were welcome to attend , though the two sides do not speak to each other . When he saw the photos from the Caesar exhibit for the first time Friday in his office , Ghadbian said he sobbed . Speaking ahead of the exhibition , U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said : 'Anyone who has seen the images will never forget them . 'Maimed bodies , people with their eyes gouged out , emaciated prisoners . It defies anybody 's sense of humanity . ' The exhibition comes as an international rights group announced Wednesday that more than 600 medical workers have been killed in Syria 's civil war . Physicians for Human Rights said it has documented 233 attacks on 183 medical facilities across Syria since the country 's conflict began in March 2011 . In a report , it said that President Bashar Assad 's government is responsible for 88 per cent of the recorded attacks on hospitals and 97 percent of the killings of medical workers . It documented 139 deaths directly attributable to torture and execution.The group 's director of investigations Erin Gallagher said , `` every doctor killed or hospital destroyed leaves hundreds or even thousands of Syrians with nowhere to turn for health care . '' The pictures were taken by a former military police photographer who has been identified by the code name 'Caesar ' Upsetting : Some were visibly distressed as they viewed the horrific pictures , which were smuggled out of Syria between 2011 and mid-2013 . A military police photographer smuggled copies of the photos out of a hospital on memory sticks hidden in his shoe . U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said anyone who has seen the images 'will never forget them '
Exhibition of 25 pictures on display at the UN headquarters in Syria . Some images show eye gougings , strangulation and effects of starvation . A number of visitors looked shocked as they viewed the horrific pictures . The photographs were smuggled out of New York between 2011 and mid-2013 . Exhibition this week comes as the conflict in New York moves into its fifth year . WARNING : GRAPHIC CONTENT .