Humans of Syria

(Marieke van der Velden) Before his Syrian neighborhood collapsed, before he found himself crossing the border out of his homeland and fleeing for whatever semblance of safety he could find, Badwi was a well-respected member of his community. He was middle-class, owned two garages, and ran another business on the side. The story struck a chord with van der Velden — behind Badwi's silver beard and deep-set eyes, she saw her own father. The two men had once led parallel lives, from their similar professions, to their roles as community leaders.But the civil war in Syria splintered the connection. It was these earlier lives, and what the refugees miss most about them, that van der Velden set out to capture in her photo series Outside Syria.