Blowing Bubbles And Running From Bombs: The Reality Of War For The Children Of Syria

Jan. 19, 2017: Douma — A young girl blows bubbles.

Bassam Khabieh / Reuters

Ten years ago this week, Syrian government forces opened fire on protesters, setting off a bloody civil war. Since March 2011, the civil war has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced more than 10 million people.

In the early days of the uprising, Bassam Khabieh, then an amateur photographer, picked up his camera — his phone at the time — and began documenting what would be years of urban warfare from his hometown of Douma, a rebel holdout.

Over the course of the war, Khabieh’s camera lens has often focused on children — many who have known only fighting their whole lives.