Terri Squires
WRT 302
Visual Rhetoric Project
Word count 1887
UNHCR- Will you please help us avoid “Compassion Fatigue?”
So why should I care about more starving children in Africa? They are on another continent and I have seen so many of these types of photos over the years that I now suffer from what Birgitta Hoijer calls “compassion fatigue”. She explains that “the large number of reports on suffering and the repetitive and stereotyped character of the depictions may tire the audience out” (529). Maybe that is why the photos in the Central African Republic to Cameroon refugee photo gallery on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) did not have any “punctum” or piercing effect as Roland Barthes suggests (27). Those photos held no meaning for me because the captions that went with the photos did not give any of the children or adults a voice in what was depicted about them on the UNHCR website. We already know they are being helped by this organization. But instead of exploiting the images of these people for financial purposes, they need to make very specific changes to engage their audience by providing their personal stories, details, and happy endings so more people will step up and help.
My decision to use the photos in the Central African Republic to Cameroon gallery (CAR Refugees attacked as they flee to Cameroon) on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) website was an easy one. At the time I went looking last month, it was the most recent gallery on the website that showed war affected children and their families struggling to survive. But I wanted to know more about this organization. The website states that “its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. Today, a staff of some 8,600 people in more than 125 countries continues to help some 33.9 million persons” (UNHCR.org) Those are staggering amounts. Where do they get their funding from? Do all members of the United Nations chip in? Is it all from private donations or a combination of the two? A more detailed study of the website provided the answers to these questions. The UNHCR relies on the donations of member governments, corporations, and lastly of individual donors. Knowing this gave me a basis of understanding the organization’s motives while viewing the images in its galleries. With that many people to look after, their need for funding must be great.
I went through each of the thirteen photos in the Central African Republic to Cameroon gallery looking at them carefully and reading each caption. I wanted to know who these people are and how they came to be displaced in another country. I did not read the five paragraph synopsis (Appendix B) of the gallery that the UNHCR provided until I was done looking at the photos. I chose five out of the thirteen photos that captured the images of children to analyze. I used the Discourse Analysis template provided by Dr. Izadpanah in Appendix A to rate each of these photos on four separate issues. First, did the photos of the children displayed give the child a voice? Did it give us the name of the child and their opinion on what was happening to them? Secondly, what was the dimension of purpose of communication? Was the child just used as background only or did they play an active role in the photo? Third, what was the persuasive argument presented in the image? And lastly, did it provide the audience with any evidence on the impact of war? (Izadpanah).
Refugees from CAR walk the final leg of their long journey into Cameroon.
UNHCR / P. Spiegal March 29, 2014
Figure 1
Figure 1 shows a group of adults and children as they make their way through the bush to safety. It clearly shows displacement and provides evidence of the claim made in the gallery synopsis (Appendix B) of the refugees having to walk for over a month through the bush. But the photo caption does not give any voice to those in it. The children are used as background only. And on top of that, the photo is taken from behind. We need to see the faces along with the names of the people being discussed. We want to hear about their struggles directly from them. Also missing from the caption are answers to some basic questions. What was it like on the road for so long? Did anyone die on the way? Were people trying to help one another or was it everyone for themselves? The caption for this photo could have been so much better with this information added.
Three of the five photos I chose show a close up of a war affected child with extreme problems. Two of them are severely malnourished and the third has a raging eye infection. In all three cases, the purpose of these photos is to communicate how horrible it was for these refugee children as they traveled to Cameroon. Unfortunately, none of the photos gives the children any voice, as we are not told one thing about them except for their health status. We do not know how long they have suffered and what their prognosis is for recovery (see Figures 2, 3, and 4).
Some 20 per cent of the new arrivals to Cameroon are severely malnourished.
UNHCR / P. Spiegel / April 2014
Figure 2
Many refugees are arriving with severe conjunctivitis, a treatable ailment that reflects the lack of access to hygiene during the months-long trek to safety.
UNHCR/ P. Spiegel/ March 20
Figure 3
A malnourished refugee baby is treated shortly after arriving at the Gbiti clinic in eastern Cameroon.
UNHCR / P. Spiegal March 29, 2014
Figure 4
They are objectifying these children and using them to shock their audience for financial gain. While the captions for all three provide evidence for the claims made in the synopsis of the photo gallery about the refugees arriving malnourished, we are not told anything specific about these children. An example is Figure 2. What is his name and how old is he? (I made a guess as to the child’s sex.) How long has he been like this? What is his prognosis? What about other kids who showed up the same way, are they okay now because of all of the good work this organization is doing? How long will it take to help him and others like him? More importantly, what are the costs involved? Even if he is too sick to talk, get us to care by telling us his story! We really do want to know more. By adding this information, it draws the audience in and engages them.
“Many images of war, however, do not explain or inform their viewers about the experiences of children in everyday life within war and post-war situations” (Messenger Davies 2004) (Izadpanah 5). Very well said. Show us a close up of the tents these children live in. Show us a close up of a improvised school where the children are sitting on the ground eager to learn, but without walls, desks, books etc. If refugees have been there for ten years like the gallery synopsis (Appendix B) says, show us their daily lives and how much good the UNHCR is doing for them. Are they able to educate their children, let them grow up, play etc? Have they started new lives in their new country? They try to do this in Figure 5, but they are unsuccessful as the photo is taken from too far of a distance. Once again the refugee children are used as background and to provide evidence of the caption given. No names or stories are given and we are left wondering who these children are.
Refugees from CAR set up an informal school in the Gado hosting site, eastern Cameroon.
UNHCR/M.Poletto/2 April 2014
Figure 5
There are a couple of other things they can do to improve this gallery of photos. They should provide a map to show where all of this is taking place. This helps set the stage for what we are about to see. Where exactly in the world are these people? Take us there please! We only know the name of a country and nothing else. I for one am geographically challenged, and I do suspect I am not alone. How far did they have to walk to freedom? Was it a 100 miles or 200 miles? Show us this on the same map with points of origin and the final destination of Cameroon. Something else they could have done is to show us the depth and breadth of the situation. This could be done with pictures of the seventy thousand refugees mentioned in the synopsis (Appendix B). Show us photos of them lining up for meals, rows and rows of tents, etc. That has impact and “punctum” (Barthes 27). It is one thing to say there are seventy thousand refugees, but please take us there photographically so we can see for ourselves.
An analysis of all thirteen photos in this gallery using Dr. Izadpanah’s Discourse Analysis of the entire photo gallery template clearly shows the UNHCR’s purpose of raising funds by exploiting the suffering of the people depicted. The adults and children are shown as vulnerable, helpless, or merely receiving aid. Every single photo of the children and their families are shown with passive representation. Not one person in any of the photos is mentioned by name. Not one! Eight out of thirteen photos have children in them or 60%, with the most represented group of school age children. The photos represent both genders and it is impossible to tell in some photos whether the child in the photograph is a boy or a girl, because once again no child photographed for this gallery was given a voice.
Comte-Sponville suggests “compassion is the one virtue that lets us open ourselves not just to all humanity but also to all living beings or, at the very least all suffering beings” (111). But sometimes “it is our duty to nurture the capacity in us to feel it” (116). And sometimes we need a bit of nudging too. Adding more to the captions would accomplish this by allowing the children to tell us of their suffering, and how hard it was for them to flee their homes and travel over a month to safety. Show us how the UNHCR is helping these people overcome their personal tragedies. If they can show us suffering, they can show us how much good their programs have done. While I realize that those types of photos do not have the same impact that motivate people to donate funds, they are still important to show. We really do want to see happy endings.
Hoijer talks of “how we are superficially touched and give money for charity just in order to keep the distant other at arm’s-length” (528). I do not fully agree with this, but at least donating money is doing something. It won’t stop a civil war or uprising, but it can help feed and shelter displaced people. If the point of these photos is to bring awareness, and ask people to help, they have to take the time and plan out what photos to take. Don’t let us push other people’s suffering to “arm’s-length”. That may involve more time and effort then they were willing to spend taking the photos and providing gripping and informative captions. If all the photographer wants to do is show photos of children suffering, people will turn away. They may look at one and that is it. It is too easy click on another website. Susan Sontag says it best when she states that “Compassion is an unstable emotion. It needs to be translated into action, or it withers” (101). By getting the audience involved in these refugees daily lives and giving each of those depicted a voice, the UNHCR can effectively put a stop to any possible “compassion fatigue” (Hoijer 529) and bring in donations at the same time.
Works Cited
Barthes, Roland. Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography. Trans. Richard Howard.
NewYork: Hill and Wang, 1981. Print.
Comte-Sponville, André. "Compassion." A Small Treatise on the Great Virtues: The Uses of
Philosophy in Everyday Life. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2001. Print.
Hoijer, Birgitta. “The Discourse of Global Compassion: The Audience and Media Reporting of
Human Suffering.” Media Culture & Society 26.4 (2004) SAGE Journals. Web. 21
Jan. 2014
Izadpanahjahromi, Aida. “An Analysis of Multi-Media Representations of Children’s Experience of
War by Humanitarian Organizations.” Diss. Graduate Center of the City University of
New York, 2012. Print.
Messenger Davies, Máire. “Innocent victims/active citizens: children and media war coverage.”
Mediactive 3 (2004).. Literature Resource Center. Web. 21 Jan. 2014.
Sontag, Susan. Regarding the Pain of Others. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. New York.
2003. Print.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.UNHCR.org. Web.
9 May 2014
Appendix A
Refugees from CAR walk the final leg of their long journey into Cameroon.
UNHCR / P. Spiegal March 29, 2014
Figure 1
• Sponsoring Organization: UNHCR
• Title of Photo Gallery: CAR refugees attacked as they flee to Cameroon
• Date of Gallery Publication: 11 April 2014
• Source of Image: http://www.unhcr.org
Checklist to Help Decide Subcategories of Criterion of Voice (answer all)
• Is a child the actual subject of the image: yes or no? No.
• Is there a name given to the photographed child and, if so, what is it? None.
• What, if any, direct or indirect accounts of the photographed child are there? No direct accounts.
• What, if any, terms in the caption specifically represent war-affected people? Refugees walking through the brush into Cameroon.
Voice Demonstrated in the Image (select one rating option)
A rating of #5 represents the highest degree of voice, meaning the caption was able to capture the child’s opinion and viewpoint depicted in the image.
1) No caption or supplemental information
2)➨ No account of the photographed child but reference to issues relevant to such children
3) Reference to the photographed child by name or by account of his/her specific story or
activity to refer to/illustrate issues relevant to such children
4) Any other account of the photographed child by a non-child subject of the image
5) Direct or indirect account of the photographed child of what he/she is saying to the
viewer and/or to the organization
Description of the Image (answer all)
• Who is photographed? A group of refugees walking
• What is their gender? Both adults and children boys and girls
• What age group do they belong to (see above)? A few age groups represented.
• What are they doing? Walking in the brush
• When is it? April 2014
• Where are they? On their way to Cameroon
• What are qualities of the environment? Rough, walking in the brush
Evidence of Impact of War Demonstrated in the Image (select one rating option; if more than one applies, choose the most applicable)
1) Details about human suffering: wounds, scars, mutilated figures, other
2) Helplessness: loneliness, crying, etc.
3) ➨Long-term evidence of war: security forces, ruins and destruction, war apparatuses such
as mines, displacement (external or internal), poverty, poor housing conditions, lack of
access to health care or water, unemployment, disrupted education, malnutrition, looking
dirty or skinny
4) None/resilient: hope and desire for peace, school attendance, doing homework, playing,
participating in everyday life activities, etc.
Dimension of Purpose of Communication Demonstrated in the Image (select one rating option)
1) ➨Background: the child has no role other than as background
2) Passive/Illustrative: the child’s role is to underline the point being made by the reporter or
organization (e.g., close-up images)
3) Active/Illustrative: the child has active role or is actual subject of image, but only as to
illustrate a broader point
4) Agentive: the child is both an active participant and is the actual subject of the caption
Persuasive Argument Presented in the Image (select one rating option; if more than one applies, choose the most applicable)
What is the image being used to do?
1) Not applicable (e.g., unrelated to intention of gallery)
2) Gain sympathy for victimized child (e.g., assuming lack or deficit)
3) ➨Provide evidence for claim made in caption or introduction of photo-gallery
4) Support development and participation of the child (e.g., assuming his/her capability or
empowerment)
Some 20 per cent of the new arrivals to Cameroon are severely malnourished.
UNHCR / P. Spiegel / April 2014
Figure 2
• Sponsoring Organization: UNHCR
• Title of Photo Gallery: CAR refugees attacked as they flee to Cameroon
• Date of Gallery Publication: 11 April 2014
• Source of Image: http://www.unhcr.org
Checklist to Help Decide Subcategories of Criterion of Voice (answer all)
• Is a child the actual subject of the image: yes or no? Yes
• Is there a name given to the photographed child and, if so, what is it? No
• What, if any, direct or indirect accounts of the photographed child are there? None.
• What, if any, terms in the caption specifically represent war-affected people? Mentions new arrivals to refugee camp
Voice Demonstrated in the Image (select one rating option)
A rating of #5 represents the highest degree of voice, meaning the caption was able to capture the child’s opinion and viewpoint depicted in the image.
1) No caption or supplemental information
2)➨ No account of the photographed child but reference to issues relevant to such children
3) Reference to the photographed child by name or by account of his/her specific story or
activity to refer to/illustrate issues relevant to such children
4) Any other account of the photographed child by a non-child subject of the image
5) Direct or indirect account of the photographed child of what he/she is saying to the
viewer and/or to the organization
Description of the Image (answer all)
• Who is photographed? child
• What is their gender? boy?
• What age group do they belong to (see above)? preschool
• What are they doing? Sitting on lap
• When is it? April 2014
• Where are they? Refugee camp in Cameroon
• What are qualities of the environment? Other parent and child in background, sitting on parent lap
Evidence of Impact of War Demonstrated in the Image (select one rating option; if more than one applies, choose the most applicable)
1) Details about human suffering: wounds, scars, mutilated figures, other
2) Helplessness: loneliness, crying, etc.
3)➨ Long-term evidence of war: security forces, ruins and destruction, war apparatuses such
as mines, displacement (external or internal), poverty, poor housing conditions, lack of
access to health care or water, unemployment, disrupted education, malnutrition, looking
dirty or skinny
4) None/resilient: hope and desire for peace, school attendance, doing homework, playing,
participating in everyday life activities, etc.
Dimension of Purpose of Communication Demonstrated in the Image (select one rating option)
1) Background: the child has no role other than as background
2)➨ Passive/Illustrative: the child’s role is to underline the point being made by the reporter or
organization (e.g., close-up images)
3) Active/Illustrative: the child has active role or is actual subject of image, but only as to
illustrate a broader point
4) Agentive: the child is both an active participant and is the actual subject of the caption
Persuasive Argument Presented in the Image (select one rating option; if more than one applies, choose the most applicable)
What is the image being used to do?
1) Not applicable (e.g., unrelated to intention of gallery)
2) Gain sympathy for victimized child (e.g., assuming lack or deficit)
3)➨ Provide evidence for claim made in caption or introduction of photo-gallery
4) Support development and participation of the child (e.g., assuming his/her capability or
empowerment)
Many refugees are arriving with severe conjunctivitis, a treatable ailment that reflects the lack of access to hygiene during the months-long trek to safety.
UNHCR/ P. Spiegel/ March 2014
Figure 3
• Sponsoring Organization: UNHCR
• Title of Photo Gallery: CAR refugees attacked as they flee to Cameroon
• Date of Gallery Publication: 11 April 2014
• Source of Image: http://www.unhcr.org
Checklist to Help Decide Subcategories of Criterion of Voice (answer all)
• Is a child the actual subject of the image: yes or no? yes
• Is there a name given to the photographed child and, if so, what is it? No
• What, if any, direct or indirect accounts of the photographed child are there? Indirect account of lack of medical care
• What, if any, terms in the caption specifically represent war-affected people? Refugee
Voice Demonstrated in the Image (select one rating option)
A rating of #5 represents the highest degree of voice, meaning the caption was able to capture the child’s opinion and viewpoint depicted in the image.
1) No caption or supplemental information
2) ➨No account of the photographed child but reference to issues relevant to such children
3) Reference to the photographed child by name or by account of his/her specific story or
activity to refer to/illustrate issues relevant to such children
4) Any other account of the photographed child by a non-child subject of the image
5) Direct or indirect account of the photographed child of what he/she is saying to the
viewer and/or to the organization
Description of the Image (answer all)
• Who is photographed? Child
• What is their gender? boy
• What age group do they belong to (see above)? school aged
• What are they doing? standing
• When is it? April 2014
• Where are they? At refugee camp
• What are qualities of the environment? hard to see, people in background
Evidence of Impact of War Demonstrated in the Image (select one rating option; if more than one applies, choose the most applicable)
1) Details about human suffering: wounds, scars, mutilated figures, other
2) Helplessness: loneliness, crying, etc.
3) ➨Long-term evidence of war: security forces, ruins and destruction, war apparatuses such
as mines, displacement (external or internal), poverty, poor housing conditions, lack of
access to health care or water, unemployment, disrupted education, malnutrition, looking
dirty or skinny
4) None/resilient: hope and desire for peace, school attendance, doing homework, playing,
participating in everyday life activities, etc.
Dimension of Purpose of Communication Demonstrated in the Image (select one rating option)
1) Background: the child has no role other than as background
2)➨ Passive/Illustrative: the child’s role is to underline the point being made by the reporter or
organization (e.g., close-up images)
3) Active/Illustrative: the child has active role or is actual subject of image, but only as to
illustrate a broader point
4) Agentive: the child is both an active participant and is the actual subject of the caption
Persuasive Argument Presented in the Image (select one rating option; if more than one applies, choose the most applicable)
What is the image being used to do?
1) Not applicable (e.g., unrelated to intention of gallery)
2) Gain sympathy for victimized child (e.g., assuming lack or deficit)
3) ➨Provide evidence for claim made in caption or introduction of photo-gallery
4) Support development and participation of the child (e.g., assuming his/her capability or
empowerment)
A malnourished refugee baby is treated shortly after arriving at the Gbiti clinic in eastern Cameroon.
UNHCR / P. Spiegal March 29, 2014
Figure 4
• Sponsoring Organization: UNHCR
• Title of Photo Gallery: CAR refugees attacked as they flee to Cameroon
• Date of Gallery Publication: 11 April 2014
• Source of Image : http://www.unhcr.org
Checklist to Help Decide Subcategories of Criterion of Voice (answer all)
• Is a child the actual subject of the image: yes or no? yes
• Is there a name given to the photographed child and, if so, what is it? no
• What, if any, direct or indirect accounts of the photographed child are there? indirect account of malnourished child
• What, if any, terms in the caption specifically represent war-affected people? refugee
Voice Demonstrated in the Image (select one rating option)
A rating of #5 represents the highest degree of voice, meaning the caption was able to capture the child’s opinion and viewpoint depicted in the image.
1) No caption or supplemental information
2) ➨No account of the photographed child but reference to issues relevant to such children
3) Reference to the photographed child by name or by account of his/her specific story or
activity to refer to/illustrate issues relevant to such children
4) Any other account of the photographed child by a non-child subject of the image
5) Direct or indirect account of the photographed child of what he/she is saying to the
viewer and/or to the organization
Description of the Image (answer all)
• Who is photographed? malnourished baby
• What is their gender? can’t tell
• What age group do they belong to (see above)? toddler
• What are they doing? resting
• When is it? April 2014
• Where are they? at clinic in refugee camp
• What are qualities of the environment? on someone’s lap
Evidence of Impact of War Demonstrated in the Image (select one rating option; if more than one applies, choose the most applicable)
1) Details about human suffering: wounds, scars, mutilated figures, other
2) Helplessness: loneliness, crying, etc.
3) ➨Long-term evidence of war: security forces, ruins and destruction, war apparatuses such
as mines, displacement (external or internal), poverty, poor housing conditions, lack of
access to health care or water, unemployment, disrupted education, malnutrition, looking
dirty or skinny
4) None/resilient: hope and desire for peace, school attendance, doing homework, playing,
participating in everyday life activities, etc.
Dimension of Purpose of Communication Demonstrated in the Image (select one rating option)
1) Background: the child has no role other than as background
2)➨ Passive/Illustrative: the child’s role is to underline the point being made by the reporter or
organization (e.g., close-up images)
3) Active/Illustrative: the child has active role or is actual subject of image, but only as to
illustrate a broader point
4) Agentive: the child is both an active participant and is the actual subject of the caption
Persuasive Argument Presented in the Image (select one rating option; if more than one applies, choose the most applicable)
What is the image being used to do?
1) Not applicable (e.g., unrelated to intention of gallery)
2) Gain sympathy for victimized child (e.g., assuming lack or deficit)
3) ➨Provide evidence for claim made in caption or introduction of photo-gallery
4) Support development and participation of the child (e.g., assuming his/her capability or
empowerment)
Refugees from CAR set up an informal school in the Gado hosting site, eastern Cameroon.
UNHCR/M.Poletto/2 April 2014
Figure 5
• Sponsoring Organization: UNHCR
• Title of Photo Gallery: CAR refugees attacked as they flee to Cameroon
• Date of Gallery Publication: 11 April 2014
• Source of Image: http://www.unhcr.org
Checklist to Help Decide Subcategories of Criterion of Voice (answer all)
• Is a child the actual subject of the image: yes or no? no
• Is there a name given to the photographed child and, if so, what is it? no
• What, if any, direct or indirect accounts of the photographed child are there? none
• What, if any, terms in the caption specifically represent war-affected people? refugees
Voice Demonstrated in the Image (select one rating option)
A rating of #5 represents the highest degree of voice, meaning the caption was able to capture the child’s opinion and viewpoint depicted in the image.
1) No caption or supplemental information
2)➨ No account of the photographed child but reference to issues relevant to such children
3) Reference to the photographed child by name or by account of his/her specific story or
activity to refer to/illustrate issues relevant to such children
4) Any other account of the photographed child by a non-child subject of the image
5) Direct or indirect account of the photographed child of what he/she is saying to the
viewer and/or to the organization
Description of the Image (answer all)
• Who is photographed? children
• What is their gender? both
• What age group do they belong to (see above)? school aged
• What are they doing? attending a makeshift school
• When is it? April 2014
• Where are they? Cameroon
• What are qualities of the environment? Poor, tent housing, no chairs, walls etc. for the makeshift school
Evidence of Impact of War Demonstrated in the Image (select one rating option; if more than one applies, choose the most applicable)
1) Details about human suffering: wounds, scars, mutilated figures, other
2) Helplessness: loneliness, crying, etc.
3) ➨Long-term evidence of war: security forces, ruins and destruction, war apparatuses such
as mines, displacement (external or internal), poverty, poor housing conditions, lack of
access to health care or water, unemployment, disrupted education, malnutrition, looking
dirty or skinny
4) None/resilient: hope and desire for peace, school attendance, doing homework, playing,
participating in everyday life activities, etc.
Dimension of Purpose of Communication Demonstrated in the Image (select one rating option)
1) ➨Background: the child has no role other than as background
2) Passive/Illustrative: the child’s role is to underline the point being made by the reporter or
organization (e.g., close-up images)
3) Active/Illustrative: the child has active role or is actual subject of image, but only as to
illustrate a broader point
4) Agentive: the child is both an active participant and is the actual subject of the caption
Persuasive Argument Presented in the Image (select one rating option; if more than one applies, choose the most applicable)
What is the image being used to do?
1) Not applicable (e.g., unrelated to intention of gallery)
2) Gain sympathy for victimized child (e.g., assuming lack or deficit)
3) ➨Provide evidence for claim made in caption or introduction of photo-gallery
4) Support development and participation of the child (e.g., assuming his/her capability or
empowerment)
Appendix B
2014: CAR refugees attacked as they flee to Cameroon
Added: 11 Apr 2014
Each week 10,000 Muslims cross into eastern Cameroon to escape the violence consuming the Central African Republic (CAR). Many new arrivals report that they have been repeatedly attacked as they fled. The anti-Balaka militiamen have blocked main roads to Cameroon, forcing people to find alternate routes through the bush. Many are walking two to three months to reach Cameroon, arriving malnourished and bearing wounds from machetes and gunshots.
UNHCR and its partners have established additional mobile clinics at entry points to provide emergency care as refugees arrive. The UN refugee agency is also supporting public health centres that have been overwhelmed by the number of refugees and their condition.
Meanwhile, UNHCR has relocated some 20,000 refugees who had been living in the open in the Garoua Bouai and Kenzou border areas, bringing them to new sites at Lolo, Mborguene, Gado and Borgop in the East and Adamwa regions.
Since the beginning of the year, Cameroon has received nearly 70,000 refugees from CAR, adding to the 92,000 who fled in earlier waves since 2004 to escape rebel groups and bandits in the north of their country.
UNHCR staff members Paul Spiegel and Michele Poletto recently travelled to eastern Cameroon and have the following photos to share from their iPhone and camera.