People selling their goods, sleeping during the day, families marrying off their young daughters… Because almost half of the yemenis do not have enough to eat, living with less than $2 a day. Two years ago, during the Arab Spring, the yemeni economy contracted by 50% and inflation reached 23%.

There is food in the markets but there is not enough money in the people’s pockets. The numbers are not far from the situation in Sahel in Africa or Afghanistan but surprisingly it is not attracting attention from the world.

267.000 children are at risk of death from malnutrition already.

International NGO's are releasing humanitarian aid in the vast and heavily populated district of Bayt al-Faqih in west Yemen, monitoring the food crisis and helping by distributing cash to the most impoverished families.

About the author:
Juan Herrero was born (1984) in a small town along the eucalyptus-scented northwestern coast of Spain; but he was raised in Madrid. Juan holds a BA in International Economics and Development from the Universidad Complutense of Madrid, having studied also in The Netherlands and Cuba. Recently Juan has been living in developing countries working on cooperation projects while evolving his understanding of photography.
Juan says: " I always had a burning desire to see more, which I have been able to sooth with a camera, opening me to a whole new level of perception in what I experience. My images often reflect my fascination with the human being and its conflicted existence, at the same time raising questions to myself as I try to comprehend my own path."

You can see more of Juan's amazing reportages on his website www.juanherrerophoto.com and you can follow him on Facebook .


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I took all of these photos during my 44 days stay in the beautiful land of Afghanistan. Photos are taken in Kabul, Herat, Mezar-e-Sharif and the US airfield base of Bagram.

About the author:
Life is fleeting but photographs last. Photographs even have the power to tell a whole story of life. With his brother’s borrowed camera, Mohammad began his quest to tell stories. His story as a photographer began when he was 14, and he started to work for local newspapers. He sold his flute and bought a camera. After a few years of working hard, he became a photographer for BBC Worldwide Service and then for United Press International. Working with these news agencies was a start for him to know the western culture better, and now he is part of that culture. Mohammad says: “I believe photographs are not just a small part of me, they actually form my life, and by looking at this photos you are walking through my life, seeing through my eyes. If only one of my photos can stay in your memory, I have reached my goal. When a photograph lingers, remains, or is memorized, then real change can happen in the stories of our lives. That is my goal.”.
All photographs in this post are copyright of ©Mohammad Kheirkhah.
You can see more of Mo amazing work at www.BayAreaPicture.com

Remember that the tickets for the exhibition cost only £7.50 and can be purchased here.
You can view more striking photos from the SWPA 2013 right here.

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20 November 2012, Gaza City, Palestinian Territories.
The bodies of two-year-old Suhaib Hijazi and his elder brother Muhammad, almost four, are carried by their uncles to a mosque for their funeral, in Gaza City. The children were killed when their house was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike on 19 November. The strike also killed their father, Fouad, and severely injured their mother and four other siblings. Israel had begun an intense offensive against Hamas-ruled Gaza on 14 November in response to continued rocket fire from Palestinian militant groups. In the first days of the offensive, Israel struck at targets of military and strategic importance, though the scope of attack later widened to include residences suspected of harboring Hamas militants. By the time a ceasefire was brokered on 21 November, over 150 people had been killed in Gaza. Of these 103 were thought to be civilians, including at least 30 children.

1st Prize General News Single

10 March 2012, Idlib, Syria
Aida cries as she recovers from severe injuries sustained during a Syrian military bombardment of her home, in the northern city of Idlib. Her husband and two children were killed in the attack. Syrian troops launched a vigorous assault on Idlib, a center of the uprising against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. The shelling of Idlib began just hours after UN envoy Kofi Annan had arrived in Damascus, on a high-profile international mission aiming to mediate an end to the conflict.

1st Prize Sports – Sports Action Single

12 February 2012, West Sumatra, Indonesia
A competitor and his charges reach the finish of a bull race, in Batu Sangkar, West Sumatra.Pacu Jawi is a 400-year-old tradition in the area, held after the rice harvest once the paddies have been cleared. Competitors yoke themselves barefoot to two bulls using a wooden harness, and drive the animals by gripping their tails.Winners are judged by their ability to run in a straight line, and by whether both animals are cooperating. Some 600 bulls and 50 farmers participated over a number of races in Pacu Jawi in February.

1st Prize Contemporary Issues Single

03 April 2012, Nairobi, Kenya
A woman sits on bags of waste she has salvaged, at the Dandora municipal dump, outside Nairobi, Kenya. She said that she enjoys looking at books, even industrial catalogues, as a break from picking up garbage.The dumpsite, some 8 km from the center of the Kenyan capital, is one of the largest rubbish dumps in Africa. People living in the slum area around the site have been found to suffer from increased levels of lead in their blood, as well as above normal incidence of kidney disease and cancer. Gases rising from decomposing waste lead to high rates of respiratory disease. Despite the health risks, between 6,000 and 10,000 people earn a living from the dumpsite, seeking food waste, scavenging goods for resale, or separating materials for recycling. Informal cartels run the recycling operation, paying pickers around €2 a day. Opened in 1975, the dump should—under international environmental laws—have been closed after 15 years. It remains in use, despite being declared full in 2001.

1st Prize Sports – Sports Features Stories

22 July 2012, Kolesa, Czech Republic
The Velká Pardubická was first held in 1874, and has gained a reputation as one of the toughest and most grueling steeplechases in the world. Held each October in the town of Pardubice in the Czech Republic, the race has been run almost every year since its founding.The steeplechase was not held during the two world wars, nor in 1968, because of the political situation in the then Czechoslovakia. Adverse weather conditions have only twice led to its cancellation. Due to the difficulty of the track, horses cannot compete unless they are at least seven years old and have finished one of the four qualifying races held between May and September at different locations around the country. The Velká Pardubická is run over a distance of 6,900 meters, with the horses having to negotiate a total of 31 obstacles—some of legendary difficulty. The most notorious is Taxis Ditch, a one-meter-deep ditch hidden behind a hedge half as high again. Over the years the obstacle has cost the lives of 27 horses. The race usually lasts around ten minutes, and is run by 15 to 20 horses, ridden by some of the best jockeys in the country. Winning—or at least competing in—the Velká Pardubická is considered the highpoint of a jockey’s career.

2nd Prize Spot News Stories

10 October 2012, Aleppo, Syria
A Free Syrian Army fighter takes up position in the Sulemain Halabi district, a rebel stronghold, during clashes with government forces. The Syrian commercial hub of Aleppo was the scene of some of the bloodiest clashes in the ongoing uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Both government and opposition forces considered control of Aleppo to be strategically important to their aims. The FSA first seized parts of the city in July. In the months that followed, government forces battled to recapture it, with limited success. By the end of the year, the Syrian military had control over a western segment of the city, with the rebels entrenched in much of the east and south. Some of the fiercest fighting was in and around the Old City.

1st Prize Contemporary Issues Stories

22 June 2012, Hoh Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Phan Thi Thuy Vy (20, left) and Dang Thi Bich Bay (20), both students, relax at the end of the day watching television. They have been together for a year. Vietnam has historically been unwelcoming to same-sex couples, but in 2012 the Vietnamese government announced it was considering recognizing same-sex marriage, a move that would make it the first Asian country to do so. Despite past human rights issues and a long-standing stigma against homosexuality, parliamentary debate on same-sex marriage was scheduled for 2013. Polls showed that majority public opinion remained opposed to the idea. In August 2012, the country’s first gay pride parade took place in Hanoi.

3rd Prize People – Observed Portraits Single

19 February 2012, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Kayla stands with her American Girl doll, in front of a portrait of her ancestors at home in Boston. The dolls come in a range of different ‘characters’, with varying skin tones and hairstyles, that customers can choose from.

2nd Prize Daily Life Single

08 July 2012, Jeselo, Italy
The photographer’s family, early one morning on summer holiday in northern Italy.

3rd Prize C Contemporary Issues Single

29 March 2012, Barcelona, Spain
Mireia Arnau (39) reacts behind the broken glass of her shop, stormed by demonstrators clashing with police in Barcelona, during a general strike on 29 March. The national strike was called in protest against the government’s labor reforms. In an ongoing climate of economic difficulty, parliament was proposing stringent cuts, as well as measures aimed at making it easier for businesses to fire employees. Spain’s unemployment was running at over 24 percent, the highest in the European Union, with half of under 25s out of work. Most protests across the country were peaceful, but in Barcelona some demonstrators hurled rocks at banks and shop fronts.

2nd Prize Sports – Sports Action Stories

31 July 2012, London, UK
Fencing at the London 2012 Olympics. Alaaeldin Abouelkassem of Egypt (top) in action against Peter Joppich of Germany during the men’s foil individual match. Abouelkassem won the bout and went on to take a silver medal.

1st Prize Nature Stories

18 November 2011, Ross Sea, Antarctica
Swimming emperor penguins shoot to the water’s surface. The cloud of bubbles they create may help confuse predators. Emperor penguins’ body shape and poor climbing ability make it difficult for the birds to haul themselves ashore, especially onto icy or rocky coasts. It is also a moment when they are especially vulnerable to attacks by predators, such as the leopard seal. But the flightless emperor penguin is capable of becoming airborne, by swimming at up to three times its normal speed, and launching itself from the water to clear the edge of a shoreline. Recent research shows that the penguins do this by releasing air from their feathers, in the form of tiny bubbles. The bubbles act as a lubricant, cutting drag, and enabling the birds to achieve bursts of speeds that would otherwise be impossible.

1st Prize People – Staged Portraits Stories

17 October 2012, Conakry, Guinea
Makone Soumaoro (30) “My neck doesn’t hurt, but I worry that it swells so much. I hope it is not a tumor, because I’m a housewife and my husband and children need me.” People receiving treatment on Africa Mercy, a hospital ship docked at Conakry, Guinea.

1st Prize People – Observed Portraits Singles

27 February 2012, Belgrade, Serbia
Milan (4) leaves the hospital on 27 February, three months after surviving a family suicide attempt in which both his father and mother died. All three jumped from a sixth-floor balcony, in Belgrade, Serbia. Milan’s parents had been experiencing financial difficulties in the midst of a struggling national economy.

2nd Prize Prize People – Staged Portraits Single

06 February 2012, Beijing, China
Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei is active across a number of media, including sculpture, installation, architecture, photography and film. He is highly vocal in his criticism of the Chinese government’s record on democracy and human rights, and in his investigations of corruption and cover-up. In 2011, Ai was detained by the authorities, accused of tax evasion. He spent time in jail and under house arrest, and he cannot travel without government permission. In May, Ai was a recipient of the inaugural Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent, awarded by the Human Rights Foundation.

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A total of 54 photographers of 33 different nationalities were awarded at the latest edition of the WPPC. The winning images will be presented in an exhibition visiting more than 100 cities in over 45 countries. Be sure not to miss the chance of seeing it when it comes to your country, you can check the calendar here.  

The winning images will be also featured in the 2012 World Press Photo Yearbook which you can buy here.     

The above images together with the ones of all the shortlisted artists will be exhibited at Somerset House, London, from 26 April - 12 May as part of the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition. If you are in London around that time this is definitely something you don't want to miss.
Tickets for the exhibition cost only £7.50 each and you can buy them here or, why not, try to win them here.
The images will also be published in the 2013 edition of the Sony World Photography Awards book.
Find more information about the 2013 SWPA Exhibition at worldphoto.org/2013exhibition

If you didn't have enough, check for more SWPA amazing pictures right here!

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As soon as I entered the huge pavilion where the event was taking place I felt I did the right thing by going. The place was engulfed in an oddly serene atmosphere. Dozens of people of all sorts were scattered around the vast area, some young shoeless and hippiesh looking, others with disabilities or in a wheelchair, but mostly just regular common people patiently sitting on the chairs facing a stage. Not knowing what to expect, at first I didn't realize what they were all waiting for, but after a better look I saw that many people were queuing just below the stage, in front of them a woman dressed in white was hugging someone.

I decided to get closer and spent an hour or so photographing the event. I have to admit that the scene in front of my eyes was quite bizarre. One after another, Amma was hugging every single person in the pavilion, gently whispering something in their ears for a minute or two while rhythmically rocking back and forth. She was helped by a few assistants coordinating the queue of waiting people and recieving their offers.

I wanted to know more about Amma and her World Tour so I met with Michela Muratori, Amma's Italian Media Relations manager. Michela was very welcoming and chatty as she explained more about what Amma's goals are and gave me a lot of useful books and pamphlets to read.

Apparently in the past 30 years Amma has devoted hersef to the world and she has hugged a staggering 30 million people all over the planet, that is about a million people a year!!!

Hugging people is only a small part of what she does, Amma is in fact the leader of one of the biggest Indian humanitarian organizations. She won the Gandhi-King Award for Non-Violence and the James Parks Morton Interfaith Award and even spoke several times for the United Nations.

The message she wants to spread is quite simple and very inspiring:

I have to admit I'm generally very skeptical about this sort of thing and normally prefer to document events with an impartial eye. However, I have to say that I was very impressed by Amma's positive message. I came out of the pavilion thinking that whether or not one believes in it, in a world that seems to be lacking so much selflessness and morality, surely a hug can be no harm and maybe all we need is simply some love.

If you want to see more of my pictures of this event you can find them here.
If you want to know more about Amma you can visit her web-site.