A photo exhibition on Bhutanese refugees resettled in the United States of America opened at Beldangi II refugee camp in Jhapa district Monday. The exhibition entitled ‘Home’ and organised by UNHCR, exhibits photographs taken by photographer Kashish Das Shrestha, a photographer and journalist based in New York.

With over 30 photos, the exhibition focuses on two families – the Odari and the Neopaney families – who arrived in New York in June 2008, UNHCR said in a statement.

The exhibition is managed by photo.circle, a photo collective based in Kathmandu that organises photo exhibitions, presentations, workshops and festivals with a strong emphasis on story telling through the visual medium.

“This exhibition is part of our ongoing information dissemination strategy on durable solutions. These extraordinary photos, and commentary by Shrestha provide a moving insight into what life is like in a resettlement country for one young refugee couple and their families,” the statement quoted Diane Goodman, UNHCR Deputy Representative in Nepal as saying.

“The Neopaney and Odari families miss their friends in Nepal and hope that someday they can visit Bhutan. They are also excited and grateful for their new life in the USA,” said photographer Shrestha.

The exhibition will be held in all seven refugee camps between April 20 and 24.

Since the start of the resettlement programme in November 2007, some 12,388 refugees have left Nepal for resettlement countries. The US has received the largest numbers so far – 10,934 and most are resettled in cities like Tuscon, Seattle, Pittsburg, Altanta and Baltimore.

Departure to Australia is 675, New Zealand 220, Denmark 161, Norway 159, Canada 148, and the Netherlands 91, the UN refugee agency said. nepalnews.com ia Apr 20 09