A photo show has been held recently in Nairobi. It focuses on Somali refugees' dangerous and often fatal journeys to Yemen in illegal smugglers' boats. LIFESTYLES has the details.

Across the Horn of Africa, war, abuse and poverty make millions miserable and drive thousands to attempt to flee. With land borders cut off or closed, and surrounded by conflict on all sides, one of the only means of escape is by sea.                     

The crossing cost is just 50 USD, equivalent to one million Somali Shillings. With the one in twenty chance of not making it to the other side alive, it is a price they must risk their lives for.

Yet, it is a journey which for many will remain unfinished. Due to disease and critical conditions, some refugees can not make it. They are paying money not knowing they are buying their own deaths.

Although the images on display sparked a lot of criticism after publishing, they also received widespread recognition. A British photographer, Alixandra Fazzina is the 2010 UNHCR Nansen Award Winner. In 2010 she was best photo journalist who documented the lives of refugees across the globe.

The annual Nansen Award is given to an individual or an organization in recognition of their extraordinary and dedicated service to refugees and is the most prestigious honor conferred by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

She has also written a book using the photos to tell the story of escaping Somalis and how they suffer.

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) ALIXANDRA FAZZINA, UNHCR NANSEN AWARD WINNER
"It tells you the plight of the individuals and definitely if you read the stories, I think you will understand that every one is a human being like anybody else in the world. There is no difference. Of course there are terrorists and people fighting wars in somalia and the majority of the population just suffer from that and its more important that we are more humanistic and take a different approach to looking at people who suffer especially refugees."

The Nairobi exhibition is the first leg of a tour which will take in countries in the region hosting Somali refugees.