Bale Province, Ethiopia – March 2003
Two sisters posing inside the former military barrack. A communist symbol is painted on the wall.
Shortage of fertile land, combined with a persistent drought, drove tens of thousands of Ethiopians from their homes in Harraghe province. On their way to a new and better life they got stranded in an old army base in Bale province.

Lashkargah , Helmand Province – March 2009
A child waits for treatment at ‘Boost Hospital’. MSF has just started working in the only public general hospital still functioning in Helmand, in the provincial capital Lashkargah. It is one of the key health facilities in the south of Afghanistan, a region that is severely affected by ongoing conflict.

Oujda, Morocco – December 2009
Migrants stuck in Oujda, on the border between Algeria and Morocco. Reinforcement of border controls mean that a growing number of migrants and asylum seekers have found themselves blocked in Morocco, unable to continue their journey to Europe or to return home. They are left with an increasing sense of frustration and hopelessness.

Upper Nile, Southern Sudan, November 25, 2009
A woman from Torkej, dismantles her tukul to sell the wood and grass in Nasir for food. Torkej, Jikany Nuer territory, was attacked on 8 May by the larger Lol Nuer tribe, and is vulnerable to repeated cattle raids and attacks because of their placement on the river and proximity to Lol Nuer lands. Her 7 children and husband were all killed in the nighttime raid, and she is terrified to return home for fear of another violent attack. Tribal violence overall in Southern Sudan has dramatically increased in 2009, with over 2000 deaths.

Chop, western Ukraine – September 2009
One of the rooms in a temporary holding facility for illegal migrants, detained for trying to get into the EU.

Galcayo, Puntland – November 3, 2009
Prolonged drought coupled with fighting and high food prices means MSF’s nutritional centre is often packed to capacity. As of December 2009, the medical organisation was treating an alarming number of children, more than 1,300, suffering from acute severe malnutrition in North and South Galcayo.

Lesvos, greece – October 2009
Undocumented migrants are living in an abandoned building in the island of Lesvos. In the last few years, an increasing number of undocumented migrants, asylum seekers and refugees arrive in Greece. They often flee from unstable regions, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Palestine and when they arrive in Greece are faced with extremely precarious conditions.

Khayelitsha, Cape Town – July 2009
New, unfinished houses in Khayelitsha, a sprawling township mired in poverty on the outskirts of Cape Town. In the streets of Khayelitsha there’s a saying: “Living with HIV, dying from TB”. It sums up life in this place, where nearly one in three is HIV positive and HIV related infections are the leading cause of death.