Tuesday, September 2, 2014

From Motion to Stagnation

A life that transitions from constant motion to complete stagnation is common for thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing into Turkey to avoid the civil war. Escaping from a country embroiled in one of the most catastrophic humanitarian disasters of our current time, Syrian refugees in the millions have risked their lives to find a way out of the chaos and bloodshed. There is little time to plan, and people are more concerned about simply getting out of the country alive and escaping the bombing campaigns than worrying about what they will do after the cross into Turkey. Some refugees have the better disposition of having family or friends already relocated in another country; a community to help you get across and resettled in their new life. Yet, for hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, there is no available option for relocation. With an overburdened host nation, rapidly rising housing prices along the border, and completely full refugee camps with no plans for further construction, countless refugees are left to their own means to survive; stranded to find shelter wherever they can.

These are a series of images showing the transition of Syrian refugees from motion to stagnation as they flee Syria, and struggle to establish a dignified life.
Syrian refugees rush to haul their belongings across the border - Hacipaşa 
Mother of a newly arrived refugee family thinks on what to do next - Hacipaşa  
Children being transported through Turkey via car during the night - Gaziantep
A Syrian family getting ready to sleep another night in a public part - Gaziantep
Syrian children aimlessly waiting in the shade - Kilis
A mother in despair after crossing into Turkey - Hacipaşa