Syria via Whatsapp

For Syrian refugees in Jordan, the burdens of violence are present in their scant belongings, heavy mementos to remind themselves of those they lost in the war. The draw of Europe seduces entire families, but most often, because of the high risk and financial cost, it is the fathers and brothers who first make the journey.

The women keep their mobile phones like talismans; they carry within them voice messages of love, lullabies, and hope. Habjouqa's photos explore the complicated intimacies of the everyday lives of Syrian women who have been left behind, clinging to the hope that their families will be reunited soon and, in too many cases, grappling with the knowledge that they will never see them again.

“Syria via WhatsApp” reveals the myriad of ways technology and social media are changing how war is survived, and how it is told.

Single-channel color video, 2016.
Produced by Tanya Habjouqa and edited by Rabab Haj Yahya.
Published in TIME.