South Sudan AIDS Commission

The Most Important Thing: Syrian Refugees

What would you bring with you if you had to flee your home and escape to another country? More than 1 million Syrians have been forced to ponder this question before making the dangerous flight to neighbouring Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq or other countries in the region.

This is the second part of a project by photographer Brian Sokol that asks refugees from different parts of the world, "What is the most important thing you brought from home?" The first instalment focused on refugees fleeing from Sudan to South Sudan, who openly carried pots, water containers and other objects to sustain them along the road.

By contrast, people seeking sanctuary from the conflict in Syria must typically conceal their intentions by appearing as though they are out for a family stroll or a Sunday drive as they make their way towards a border. Thus they carry little more than keys, pieces of paper, phones and bracelets - things that can be worn or concealed in pockets. Some Syrians bring a symbol of their religious faith, others clutch a reminder of home or of happier times.

Widow Oumi starts a new life in South Sudan camp

Oumi arrived in Yusuf Batil refugee camp, in South Sudan, after three months on the run. Along the way she gave birth to a son, lost her husband to illness and guided her four children safely across the border from Sudan. The family reared goats, sheep and cattle in their home in Sudan's Blue Nile state before the war came to their village. With her children sick and hungry, Oumi finally found shelter in Yusuf Batil, where she is receiving assistance from UNHCR and its partners.

The widow, who does not know her age, says her life is now in the camp where she cooks for the children and hopes they can all soon start to help her. She says she worries about the future but dreams of being given a plot of land where she can grow sorghum, maize and okra to sell and make enough money to buy some goats. The following pictures depict Oumi and her children in their new home.

Refugee life in one of the most remote places in South Sudan

Over the past year, thousands of people from Sudan's South Kordofan state have fled violence to seek safety in Yida refugee camp, situated just across the border in South Sudan. In late September, Yida was home to approximately 65,000 refugees from the Nuba Mountains. Located in one of the most remote places in South Sudan, Yida is now a virtual island as the rainy season has made access roads impassable.

Every day, refugees continue to arrive from across the border after harrowing journeys. All are tired and growing numbers are in poor health. Renewed air and ground attacks are causing more and more people to take flight.

UNHCR and humanitarian partners on the ground are providing protection and life-saving assistance to the refugee community in one of the most challenging operational environments in the world. The following photographs, taken by UNHCR Public Information Officer Kathryn Mahoney, depict daily life for refugees in Yida.