EXCLUSIVE: Helena Christensen on the stories behind the statistics

I have just returned from a trip to Colombia with UNHCR, where I had the privilege of meeting some incredibly courageous, but very vulnerable women.

As a photographer, it was an extraordinary opportunity, spending time in the communities there, talking to women and children and using the power of photography to tell the real stories behind the statistics.

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Colombia has a population of 48 million people, of whom almost 7 million are internally displaced persons (IDPs): it's an issue that few are aware of in Europe but - to put it in perspective – this is the equivalent of almost the entire population of Hong Kong being forced from their homes.

The conflict in Colombia that has caused so many people to abandon their communities has been raging for 50 years and shows no immediate promise of ending. Large swathes of the country are still run by armed groups. They govern districts, often mercilessly forcing people from their land using threats, sexual violence and murder.

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My trip to Colombia was to capture portraits of inspiring women, to convey their often-harrowing experiences – and their hopes for the future. All those I met showed extraordinary courage, resilience and power.

Maribeth, who is 41 and has four children, lives in the barrio of Soacha, a settlement crammed on top of a sand quarry about an hour outside of Bogota. She was displaced from her home on the Pacific coast when she was 7 years old when armed guards shot and killed her mother and sister. She fled and has never returned. ‘I am too afraid and it has been too long,’ she tells me.

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Maribeth is just one example of the many women UNHCR work with, helping them get access to land and supporting their resettlement.

‘A key part of our job is also helping them integrate into communities, so they are not stigmatised and isolated,’ Stephane Jaquemet, UNHCR’s representative in Colombia told me.

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‘We work hard with the local government to ensure that the settlements are legalised and, once they become so, that they have access to water, health and education.' This makes a fundamental difference to people's lives.

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Almost every woman I photographed recounted harrowing stories of violence, sexual abuse, rape, fear and trauma. They have all had to move many times and have faced abject poverty and unemployment, along with a severe lack of food.

Yet every woman I met also wants to make a difference. While facing incredible hardship, the glimmer of hope of a better life for them and their children still shines through.

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I hope my photographs can be a platform for them to share their stories, a narrative that provides inspiration to support UNHCR’s important work providing shelter and safety for these women and their young families, offering them the vital hope of a better future.