Children in War Territory: Syria
31 March 2025
Rojin Ferho is a journalist with a deep fascination for the Middle East. She regularly covers the region for various media outlets and is a sought-after speaker for debates and panels on Syria. In 2019, Rojin Ferho won the Belgodyssee journalism award. She developed a deep love for Brussels at a young age. Today, she primarily works as a journalist and news anchor for the Brussels city broadcaster, BRUZZ.
Two years ago, she traveled to northeastern Syria, just after the earthquakes, and returned with this exhibition.
RAQQA & ON THE RUN – War is more than just weapons
Northeastern Syria has been a turbulent region for over a decade. The western part is now under Turkish control, while the east falls under the autonomous administration of the Kurds, built on three pillars: ecology, pluralism, and women’s rights. Ambitious, yet unrecognized by the international community. This leaves the inhabitants isolated and turns the region into a breeding ground for violence—think of the Islamic State invasion in 2014 and the ongoing war with Turkey. Meanwhile, international aid remains absent, leaving women and children as the greatest victims.
Children’s Hospital. In 2019, towards the end of the caliphate, the Islamic State took hostages in this building in Raqqa, formerly a children’s hospital. Their goal was to prevent airstrikes on their caliphate. Children were held here and used as bargaining chips. The children’s hospital was ultimately destroyed. This photo symbolizes what once was and what may one day return.
Children of the Caliphate. In special camps in Syria, children are trained to fight and kill for the caliphate. ISIS takes them from orphanages or kidnaps them. After the fall of the caliphate, the challenge of bringing these children back onto the right path is immense. Some slip through the cracks and end up on the streets.
The Square of Hell. Four orphans beg for money at what was once the most notorious place in Raqqa: Al-Naïm Square, also known as “the Square of Hell.” This place became a global symbol of the brutality of ISIS, with public executions and crucifixions. Even children were forced to witness these horrors.
Displaced. The Kurds had just driven the Islamic State out of the north when the Turkish regime, a longtime enemy, decided to invade the region again. This woman, heavily pregnant, fled from Serekaniye, her hometown. It was in this displacement camp in Heseke that she gave birth to her first child.
Looking for Water. The displacement camp in Heseke is not internationally recognized, preventing humanitarian aid from reaching families. This girl lost her mother in the massive camp after setting out in search of water. That day, the sun was merciless.
Killing Time. A boy tries to get his homemade kite in the air, though there is barely any wind that day. Children must be creative if they want to pass the time in the camp.
WATER AS A WEAPON – The Battle for Water
The Turkish regime is waging not only a military war in northern Syria but also using water as a weapon. Rivers are being manipulated, and dams are being destroyed, making access to clean drinking water impossible.
Empty Canal. In the city of Heseke, no water has flowed through the canal for seven years. Today, children use the path as the shortest route from school to home.
Searching for Water. By this canal, a boy of barely twelve years old walks alongside a pack donkey carrying two water jugs. “I’m here to fetch water for my family because not a drop comes out of our tap at home anymore,” he says.
RECONSTRUCTION – Between the Bombs
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the north has once again become a target of Turkish troops. The situation seems hopeless. Yet, despite all difficulties, the current administration is striving to build a sustainable future for the Kurdish people.
A City for Children. Children are trying out the new city park in Heseke, which is still being rebuilt after the destruction caused by the Islamic State.
The Path to Peace. A young boy seeks comfort in the arms of a Kurdish militant at a cemetery in Qamishlo, where his father lies buried alongside 12,000 other fighters. Together, they make the iconic peace sign, an important symbol within the Kurdish community to show that peace is the only way out of this war.
