Syria Via Whatsapp

by tanya Habjouqa

Syria via Whatsapp by Tanya Habjouqa

For Syrian refugees in Jordan, the burdens of violence are present in their scant belongings, heavy mementos to remind themselves of those they lost in the war. The draw to Europe seduces entire families, but most often because of the high risk and financial cost, it is often the fathers and brothers who first make the journey. The women keep their mobile phones like talisman, they carry within them voice messages of love, lullabies, and hope. Habjouqa’s photos explore these complicated intimacies of everyday life of Syrian women who have been left behind, clinging to a hope that soon their family will be reunited once again and, in too many cases, grappling with the knowledge they will never see them again.

“Syria via WhatsApp” reveals the myriad of ways technology and social media are changing narratives of war. Single-channel color video, 2016. Produced by Tanya Habjouqa and edited by Rabab Haj Yahya https://time.com/4272666/refugees-stories-whatsapp/

Single-channel color video, 2016.
Produced by Tanya Habjouqa and edited by Rabab Haj Yahya