Irish aid agency GOAL bringing issue of migration to Bloom festival 2019

An Irish aid agency is bringing the issue of migration to this year's Bloom festival.

Nearly 70million people were forced to migrate due to war, conflict and natural disasters last year, according to the UN.

And aid agency GOAL has themed its entry to this year's festival around the global crisis of migration and human displacement.

GOAL chief Siobhan Walsh said: "Through our Bloom garden we are highlighting the issue and our hope is we can engage visitors on one of the most serious human issues facing our world today."

She added: "The realities faced by refugees and displaced families are important to understand and its critical we put a spotlight on this issue.

GOAL is Blooming! Pictured at the GOAL garden at the Bloom Festival in the Phoenix Park is African drummer, Thomas Annang, garden designer, Adrian Eggers and the GOAL team of (LtoR) Miriam Donohoe, Naomi Shongo and Alison Balfe. The Garden titled “A Chothu agus a Chosaint” (meaning to nurture and protect) has the theme of migration & displacement (Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland)

Pictured at the GOAL garden is African drummer, Thomas Annang with the GOAL team of Naomi Shongo (left) and Alison Balfe (Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland)

Pictured at the GOAL garden is African drummer, Thomas Annang, garden designer, Adrian Eggers (Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland)

"There are over 65 million displaced due to violence, conflict. We have seen the harrowing images in the media of migrants and those displaced who have lost their homes, and whose lives have been put at risk as they try desperately to reach safety."

Last year GOAL supported almost 600,000 displaced people and 73,600 refugees in countries including Ethiopia, Iraq, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Iraq.

The GOAL Garden is titled A Chothú agus a Chosaint - which means to nurture and protect.