Vadim Ghirda / AP

A Syrian refugee boy peers from a tent, in a camp in Boynuyogun, Turkey, on June 14. According to the Turkish Prime Minister's office the number of Syrian refugees in Turkey stands at more than 8,500.

Associated Press photographer Vadim Ghirda writes:

I had to climb on top of an irrigation well to get this image of a Syrian boy at the Boynuyogun, Turkey, refugee camp, where the fences have been wrapped in plastic to obscure the view.

People aren't always happy to be photographed in this situation, and it’s hard for me to keep shooting — it feels like I'm mistreating someone already hit hard by fate. I have to remind myself that enough people might react to my work and the work of others here — like AP reporter Selcan Hacaoglu, whose local knowledge made these images possible — to bring a change for the better in these people’s lives.

I shot this particular photo this way to illustrate the palpable feeling of isolation or loss that can overtake you even when you are surrounded by people. That was the most tangible feeling I sensed from the refugees, especially the very young ones.

I hope people who see these pictures will try, for a moment, to imagine themselves in the refugees' predicament — suddenly losing your familiar environment and not knowing when, or even if, you will get it back.

More photos from Syria and the refugees on PhotoBlog