From the Series
Around 65.3 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide according to recent figures released by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This figure includes 21.3 million refugees and 10 million stateless people. The full impact of the crisis is inconceivable as all of these people face uncertain futures while dealing with a violent past. To put the crisis into perspective, photographer Patrick Willocq created The Art of Survival, recreated scenes from the lives of youth who have been forced out of their homes by war, natural disasters or poverty.
Commissioned by the non-profit organisation Save the Children, the French photographer travelled to several refugee camps to capture the lives of the children who live there. The scenes depict the hopes and fears of children from the war-torn region of Syria and the unstable nation of Burundi where political unrest has forced more than 255,000 Burundians out of their homes since April 2015.
Seeking refuge in countries like Tanzania and Lebanon, the displaced families lack basic necessities, education, sanitation and other vital infrastructure. The series gives these children a platform to express themselves and have their voices heard.
