Death and Life on the Syrian Street

Three years after a brutal civil war plunged a country into chaos, a daring photographer discovers that life goes on, even among the ruins.

Photos by Pablo Tosco

Three years ago this week, civil unrest in Syria launched the country into the regional wave of revolution known as the Arab Spring. But the situation in Syria would soon take a turn that set it apart from neighboring countries. As the steadfast government and determined rebels fought to a deadly stalemate, more than 130,000 Syrians have been killed, with another 6.5 million displaced, two million of whom have fled the country. With global powers at odds over how to address the civil war, Syrians on the ground are faced with daily explosions and bouts of gunfire, followed by walks through rubbish as they look for traces of life, and hours-long lines as they wait for food. On the streets of Aleppo, the country’s largest city, and in refugee camps across the border, men, women and children look for an explanation in the midst of devastation.