VOC reporter Yaseen Kippie rounds up his recent humanitarian trip to the Syria-Turkey border with these images, which reflect the love, warmth, strength and resilience of the Syrian people through war and adversity. 

During our recent trip to the Turkish Syrian border, we met a myriad of refugees affected the Syrian crisis, here are a few:

Meeting one of the ‘Mujahideen’, as referred to by the IHH officials. The Syrians treated at recovery homes across the border said they were not aligned to any particular group who claimed to be the only group on the ‘Truth’ of Islam. Rather, they were simply defending themselves, their families and their homelands from the control of both ISIS and Asad’s regime.

Brothers Ali and Bilal, 6 and 7 respectively, lost limbs during bombings in Syria. Bilal, who lost both eyes, still manages to smile and cry tears of joy at the Turkish passports we gave them, affording him and his brother, who lost his right arm, proper medical care.

Warm embraces for those hundreds of thousands of Syrian Refugees living in the hundreds of caves found in the Urfa mountainside.

Shaykh Irfaan Abrahams playing with a Syrian baby

Meeting a family of 26 living in one room had some of the delegation tearing up

Young Syrian boys excited to meet South Africans. Taking a selfie with the intention of meeting up again in the future, one of the boys told me they have made new family with the rest of the refugees due to their own families being misplaced.

Letters of love from young children in South Africa to the young refugees of Syria.

Meeting a man who works almost all day to support his four wives and multiple children.

Orphaned girls form part of a choir singing and dancing to Nasheeds prepared for visitors at the IHH-built orphanage and school.