The One Thing

The one item Syrian refugees made sure to grab before leaving home.

BY BRIAN SOKOL | MARCH 12, 2013

Abdul holds the keys to his home. Although he doesn't know if the family's apartment is still standing, he dreams every day of returning home. "God willing, I will see you this time next year in Damascus," he told UNHCR in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. He and his family fled their apartment in the Syrian capital shortly after his wife was wounded in the crossfire between armed groups. Abdul, his wife, their daughter, and her children share a plywood shelter constructed by UNHCR and the Danish Refugee Council.

UNHCR/B. Sokol

 

Brian Sokol is a U.S.-born freelance photographer focused on documenting human rights issues and humanitarian crises in developing and post-conflict societies. Previously based in South Asia and South Sudan, he is now in New York but continues to cover social issues in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East for a broad range of editorial, NGO, and humanitarian clients. He is currently working on a recurring series, "The Most Important Thing," on what refugees around the world have made sure to carry with them from their homes, with support from UNHCR.