As the UK remains fixated on the upcoming general election, PJ Harvey turns her focus to the global refugee crisis. In collaboration with Egyptian artist Ramy Essam, the musician has released a powerful song entitled “The Camp”, which details the tragedy of displaced Lebanese children.
Accompanying its haunting lyrics is a video that uses images from Giles Duley’s anticipated book I Can Only Tell You What My Eyes See. The photojournalist’s images document child refugees in the Bekaa Valley.
Duley told The Guardian: “It is hard to comprehend the scale of the crisis in Lebanon, a country of four million now hosting more than one million Syrian refugees.” He has been photographing areas of conflict for more than a decade, and feels significantly moved by the crises happening in Europe.
The images in the video follow the refugee route from the Balkans through to Germany, detailing the desperate journey of everyday people forced to flee their homes in the face of conflict. “I believe this is an important moment in the history of a humanity, a time when we must all decide: do we turn our back or open our arms and offer safety? It’s a time when we must all act,” Duley added.
All profits from the film will go to an NGO that works in Lebonon and the Vekaa Valley called Beyond Association. Watch the video in full above.
