Holocaust and genocide survivors spoke out about living through war at an event hosted by the MP for Finchley and Golders Green.

Mike Freer held the event in Parliament to mark the launch of Holocaust Memorial Day 2015, which will be based on the theme, Keep the Memory Alive.

During Monday’s event guests heard from Iby Knill, who survived the Holocaust, and Safet Vukalić, who survived the Bosnian War.

Iby read a powerful poem based on her memories of the Auschwitz camp, entitled I was There, and Safet spoke about how he was taught about the Holocaust at school in Bosnia, never expecting that just a few years later members of his family would be imprisoned in concentration camps.

He highlighted how the memorial day commemorates the genocides which have occurred since the Holocaust, and how the 2015 event will be particularly important, marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the 20th anniversary of Genocide in Srebrenica, Bosnia.

Mr Freer said: “Iby and Safet’s stories are a reminder of the importance of marking Holocaust Memorial Day – a day where we remember the millions who were affected by the Holocaust and other genocides. I want to encourage people in Finchley & Golders Green to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27, 2015.”

Olivia Marks-Woldman, chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, echoed Mr Freer’s appeal, and urged people to begin organising their own activities to mark next year’s memorial day.