Hundreds of people from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, have been leaving the countries, hoping for a better future for them and their families. They are starting their journey away from war in their countries, towards Europe, with Lesbos, Greece, being their very first stop. Some of them unfortunately never make it.
Those however, who succeed in completing the first step in their trip to Europe, carry on all they really need. Nothing more or less.
The International Rescue Commitee, a humanitarian aid organization, asked photographer Tyler Jump, to shoot a series of portraits of them to document their belongings, which are just the essentials. A few clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste, their smartphones.
“Few arrive at their destinations with anything but the necessities of life.” the IRC writes over at Medium. “Their possessions tell stories about their past and their hopes for the future”.
