PANAMA (CMC) — The UN Refugee Agency, (UNHCR) has launched a pocketbook for journalists interested in covering situations of forced displacement in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

The brief manual provides an overview of the main relevant terminology, information about UNHCR’s work in some countries in the region, as well as key recommendations when building stories with refugees and asylum seekers.

“We want to provide media with the necessary tools so their reporting is balanced and well informed placing human rights at the centre of the story,” said Philippa Candler, representative of UNHCR’s Multi-Country Office in Panama.

“Strengthening media coverage of the plight of people forced to move can help with a better understanding of why people flee and build better and more inclusive societies.”

The UN agency said that the past years have seen complex forced displacement dynamics across the Americas, with increasing numbers of people in need of international protection.

It said 2021 remains with high levels of uncertainty over the post coronavirus (COVID-19) recovery, amid shrinking solidarity, and decreasing protection and asylum space.

“In this complex context, and despite border closures, people in the region continue to desperately flee violence, persecution, insecurity, and the lack of access to basic services in their countries, embarking on dangerous journeys alongside migrants.”