The Sahrawis have lived as refugees in exile for nearly 40 years. They are one of the world's oldest refugee groups, but one of the least-known internationally.

Walking through Times Square as quickly as possible, I was astonished to see about 1,000 people all clustered and staring up at something. You don't often seen 1,000 people all staring at a single spot. Something big must have been happening. I turned to look. What they were all staring at, what had grabbed their attention, was... themselves.

In recent months, it has been tougher than normal. Refugees used to receive nine dry food items from the World Food program and the Sahrawi Red Crescent. But since the beginning of the year, due to funding constraints, they only receive seven.

The Syrian conflict, which this month enters its fifth year, shows no sign of easing. Since the start of the crisis in 2011, more than eleven million -- half of the population -- have been forced to flee the fighting and are now displaced inside the country.