Atmeh Refugee Camp has 14,000 refugees during the day and 4,000 at night. 10,000 go back to their homes at night because it is relatively safe. During the day is when most of the bombing takes place. The camp is divided into 5 sections. Each has a leader who distributes food and supplies. Bab al Hawa Refugee Camp is in Syria just a short distance from the Syrian-Turkish border in Idlib Province. The Free Syrian Army set up the camp and there are several NGOs that serve many different functions and help the needs of the displaced.
The Civil War in Syria is now in it’s third year. At the time I am writing this there are approximately 70,000 who have lost their lives and well over a million refugees now in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iraq. The number of displaced persons who have fled their homes and the violence who are still living in Syria is around 4 million. These numbers are rising rapidly every day. The number escaping to Jordan is over 1 thousand daily.
I returned to the Middle East in November and December of 2012, and then again in February and March of 2013. The project, Breaking Apart - The Syrian Conflict, expanded to include Lebanon, Turkey and Syria. I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of refugees and wounded. In addition, on the Turkish-Syrian border there were thousands of displaced persons. All of the Syrian people that I interviewed reiterated the unbelievable terror, torture, and gross human rights violations. I photographed many families and individuals who left their homes with nothing. I am currently documenting their lives in refugee camps, makeshift homes, and in clinics. I am photographing their day to day life and have tried to capture how difficult it is to survive knowing that their homeland is being destroyed. Many live with the knowledge that remaining family and friends are being tortured and killed.
Atmeh Refugee Camp has 14,000 refugees during the day and 4,000 at night. 10,000 go back to their homes at night because it is relatively safe. During the day is when most of the bombing takes place. The camp is divided into 5 sections. Each has a leader who distributes food and supplies. In November of 2012 there were no toilets. The women and children had to walk to the olive groves to find privacy.
Bab al Hawa Refugee Camp is in Syria just a short distance from the Syrian-Turkish border in Idlib Province. The Free Syrian Army set up the camp and there are several NGOs that serve many different functions and help the needs of the displaced.
Bab al Hawa Camp opened before Atmeh Camp, which was shortly after Turkey closed their border to refugees wanting to enter refugee camps within Turkey. The families that are living in this camp are predominantly from Aleppo, Homs and Idlib.