Syrians Who Fled Their Homes Play Volleyball On Field Near Idlib, Syria

In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012, photo, Syrian men, who fled their homes with their families due to government airstrikes and took refuge in a school, play volleyball in a field in Maaret Misreen, near Idlib, Syria. The town is broke, relying on a slowing trickle of local donations. The rebels, a motley crew of laborers, mechanics and shopowners, have little experience in government. President Bashar Assad’s troops still control the city of Idlib a few miles away, making area roads unsafe and keeping Maaret Misreen cut off from most of Syria.

In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012, photo, a Syrian rebel holds his friend’s daughter while sitting on a roadside in Maaret Misreen, near Idlib, Syria.

In this Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012, photo, oranges are displayed for sale by a Syrian vendor, not pictured, at a roadside in Maaret Misreen, near Idlib, Syria. <AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen>