It is true that symbols, at least photographic ones, last and have less and less impact. In fact, this harsh image of a woman holding the shrouded corpse of her little niece provoked many reactions at the time. But it soon amounted to nothing compared to the subsequent barbarism and tens of thousands of civilian casualties caused by Israel’s bombings.
World Press Photo of the Year 2024 © Mohammed Salem – Reuters
A powerful, sad and respectful photo, highlights the jury. An image in which it is worth remembering that beyond the chilling numbers of murdered people, the protagonists have names: Inas Abu Maamar is a 36-year-old woman, and Saly, the dead girl, was five when an Israeli missile ended her life and that of his mother and sister.
Africa Stories © Lee Ann-Olwage – GEO
As for the rest of the global awards, Lee Ann-Olwage’s work on dementia in Madagascar and how this disease is stigmatized has been chosen as the best story of the year.
© Alejandro Cegarra
The Two Walls by Venezuelan Alejandro Cegarra has been chosen as the best long-form report of the year. A work that began in 2018 and that addresses the change in immigration policies in Mexico, a traditionally open country but that has been closing its borders. That the author himself is also a migrant, the jury points out, makes his view especially interesting.
Europe Open Format ©Julia Kochetova
Finally, within the category Open Format, Julia Kochetova and her project War Is Personal they have won the prize. It is a website that, as a diary of the Ukrainian war, tries to go beyond the usual data, maps and statistics in war information.
