Clik here to view.
A new exhibition opened in Brussels, Belgium yesterday, and it honors some of Syria's youngest victims.
Titled "Standing Strong: Human Faces of the Syrian Crisis," the exhibition features 24 photos taken by war photographer Sebastian Rich, who spent the month of October in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey meeting with Syrian refugee children and their families.
On display at Brussels' Berlaymont Building through December 15th, the exhibition will also include drawings by Syrian children, which give "insight into dreams, fears, thoughts and an unfiltered view of what war looks like through the eyes of a child," according to UNICEF. "The drawings reflect aspirations for peace along with memories of the children's homes, gardens, toys, friends and schools they left behind.
"Each of these pictures tells a story of human suffering," said Johannes Hahn, the EU-Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, who opened the exhibition. "We have a duty to turn the despair of those affected by the war in Syria into hope for a more stable and secure future.
To that end, the EU has set up its Trust Fund in response to the Syrian Crisis to support the people and regions most affected by the conflict in Syria. Through the partnership between the EU Trust Fund and UNICEF for Syria's children we are able to address the situation of children and youth in Syria and in the host countries quickly and with flexibility. Our main goal is to help prevent 'a lost generation' with all its negative consequences for the whole region."
"Children and youth who have become refugees or displaced from war and violence are not the problem, but rather a key part of the solution," said Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF's Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
"They can be the future peacemakers as well as lawyers, doctors, engineers, and artists needed to rebuild their communities and country. Investing in them and in their education is the best investment for the region and for all of us. History will judge us harshly if we fail them."
