Photographer Anna Florio visited Sierra Leone to capture these images of refugees, mainly from Liberia, and document some of the work of the UNHCR.

During the 1990’s tens of thousands of refugees fled from Sierra Leone to Liberia to escape the civil war which was ravaging their country. For 7 years, Liberia too had endured a brutal civil war: 150.000 people are estimated to have died. During these years virtually all of the country’s 3 million people fled their homes. More than 80% of those people have returned home, however many Liberians have decided not to go back as there’s still no reliable stability in their places of origin. Furthermore many Liberians from the troubled Lofa County have since crossed the border to seek refuge in Sierra Leone: the influx is still ongoing in 2003.


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