A new exhibition takes visitors through the life of a refugee. NY1's Shannan Ferry was there and shows us what guests can expect to see.
Imagine what it's like to be a refugee, displaced from your home and seeking safety. A new exhibition in Queens aims to give the public a sense of exactly how that feels.
"It's pretty crazy how different our lives are because here, we have everything we need, but there, they have almost nothing," said student visitor Michael Zlatnik.
"Forced from Home" opened Friday at the New York Hall of Science. Interactive stations simulate a refugee's journey, allowing visitors to experience an escape route and the quest to find shelter.
"The tents, some of them were just like sacks put on top of each other held together by poles, which is kind of sad," said student visitor Ria Cha.
It's all put together by Doctors Without Borders. The humanitarian organization delivers emergency medical aid.
Executive Director Jason Cone said the exhibit is based on first-hand experiences.
"And once you start to understand the choices people are forced to make, you begin to see them as human beings again. How do they get health care, food, shelter, all these kinds of things?" said Cone.
Exhibition visitors are also given just a few minutes to pick out five different belongings from a wall. They can choose from things like bottled water or a passport.
Organizers said it's meant to show people the kinds of decisions refugees have to make at a moment's notice on any given day.
"There's violence, there's something going on, maybe even a natural disaster, you grab what you can carry and you go," said Chip Hunter, who is a Project Coordinator for Doctors Without Borders.
Physician Ahmed Abdalrazag understands this first-hand. He is a refugee from Iraq who now works for Doctors Without Borders.
"A refugee now can be anyone actually, and we are talking about 65 million humans," said Abdalrazag.
The exhibition stops in six locations in total. It will remain in Queens until September 20.