‘Everyone has a story to tell, but not everyone is able to tell it.’ That’s the rational behind the New Exposure initiative. In association with UNHCR (the United Nations Refugee Agency, Olympus and the Department for International Development, the Living in Exile project is the latest that sees people affected by under-reported issues documenting their lives through photography. New Exposure provides them with digital cameras and professional advice.

Living In Exile looks at the plight of Iraqi refugees in Syria. ‘It is thought that around two million people have fled Iraq since the invasion in 2003. The majority of these people live in the neighbouring state of Syria. Those Iraqis who fled their homes into neighbouring countries have found themselves in an increasingly fragile position. Many of these refugees have suffered great trauma at home and struggle to cope in a foreign country. Formal employment is not permitted, their savings are rapidly depleting and many refugees depend on UNHCR for vital assistance, healthcare and schooling.’

In the summer of 2008, New Exposure worked with a group of young Iraqis who sought refuge in Damascus. British photographers spent one month teaching them the basics of photography and talking about their lives as refugees. The resulting images will be on show until 21 June at the St-Matin-in-the-Fields Crypt on Trafalgar Square in London. For more information, visit www.newexposure.org.