Alixandra has recently been awarded the prestigious Nansen Refugee award by the United Nations high commissioner on refugees. "As a photojournalist based in Pakistan I have been documenting the floods and the devastating affect they have had on the population for the past five weeks. Millions have not only been displaced but are now homeless, having lost everything in the deluge. The scale of this disaster and the suffering those affected endure is huge making the magnitude of this environmental catastrophe one of the hardest and most heart breaking I have documented.

"While mainstream media reports on the continuing displacement on a day to day basis, I have turned my attention to individual families in a bid to reveal individual tales that put a human face on the tragedy. This is a protracted disaster and the people of Pakistan desperately need help not only now but over the months to come. It is important for people to remember that there are millions of individual lives now in ruins; their futures are bleak and they see very little hope", said Alixandra.

Alixandra visited the Layyah district in Punjab, where villages have been completely submerged in water. She visited a family that were taking refuge in a school with many others in often cramped conditions. Oxfam has been supporting people in this district with clean water, hygiene kits and sanitation. Food distributions were also taking place and many would come together in the evenings to break their fasts.

With Ramadan a key time for Muslims to give an obligatory amount of money towards charity, there has been a huge outpouring of support from the British Muslim community as well as the UK public. Alixandra photographed a Pakistani family in the UK to highlight their thoughts and reflections as the crisis in Pakistan continued.

About Alixandra Fazzina

Alixandra Fazzina (UK - 1974) is from a fine art background and began her career as a war artist in Bosnia. She has worked as a photojournalist throughout Eastern Europe, Africa, the middle east and Asia focusing on under reported conflicts and the often forgotten humanitarian consequences of war. Alixandra has an uncanny ability to work in the most difficult social and geographical environments and is recognised for her compassionate and empathetic approach towards the human condition, always fully aware of the bigger picture.

Alixandra’s reportages have been published across British and international titles including The Sunday Times, The Guardian and Observer, The Telegraph and The Independent as well as TIME, Newsweek, The New York Times and Stern. She works regularly with UN agencies and NGOs such as MSF, Concern, Oxfam, Save The Children and Human Rights Watch, to document their work and produce advocacy campaigns.

Alixandra is the author of “A Million Shillings - Escape From Somalia” (Trolley) which chronicles the exodus of migrants and refugees along people smuggling routes from Somalia to the Arabian Peninsula. Alixandra is based in Pakistan.

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