Dubai: Curious Dubai residents can this week explore a school at a Syrian refugee camp through virtual reality.
Booths equipped with virtual reality headsets allow viewers to follow a young Syrian student in a refugee school through 360-degree video.
The video booths are on display this week at Boulevard at Emirates Towers and Mall of the Emirates.
At the booths, Dubai Cares, the organiser, has arranged a ‘Would you rather’ game which shows the impossible choices refugees and vulnerable people have to take on a daily basis.
Participants can take a quiz on an iPad consisting of five questions. The questions were inspired by some of the tragic scenarios charity workers came across while visiting a refugee camp for Syrians.
One of the questions asks: “If you were struggling to feed your displaced family of six, would you marry off your eldest 14-year-old daughter so she is looked after by a husband or take the same daughter out of school so she can work and help support the family?”
More than 4.8 million people — roughly a quarter of Syria’s population before the 2011 civil war began — are refugees, according to the United Nations. Around half of these are younger than 18.
Meanwhile, millions more are internally displaced by the devastating conflict, which has killed hundreds of thousands.
The showcases are part of Dubai Cares’ participation in UAE Innovation Week, described by organisers as a nationwide celebration of innovation for everyone in the UAE.
The virtual reality showcases are at Boulevard at Emirates Towers from November 20 to 26, and at Mall of the Emirates from November 21 to 26.
