Istanbul: Sometimes a photojournalist’s images are the only evidence of injustice and suffering, said the winner of the Daily Life category at İstanbul Photo Awards, said an Anadolu report. İstanbul Photo Awards, organised by Anadolu for its 11th consecutive year, awarded 29 photographers across 10 categories. The selections were made from approximately 22,000 submissions from around the world, a testament to the contest’s growing prestige which has attracted entries from more than 20,000 photographers globally since its inception.
Palestinian photographer Mahmoud Zaki Salem Issa was awarded first prize in the Marion Mertens Single Daily Life category with his powerful depiction of Gaza’s hunger crisis.
“This photograph depicts a painful human scene of people suffering from hunger and poverty, scrambling in search of food,” Issa told Anadolu.
Describing his photo titled “A Humanitarian Crisis: Starvation and Blockade,” he said: “Panic and despair are evident on their faces, as each carries empty pots in an attempt to secure his daily sustenance.”
Northern Gaza faced a devastating famine under a prolonged siege. Food shortages, destruction of infrastructure, and blocked aid routes led to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
The pain in Gaza prompted Issa to photograph free food distribution sites and capture the suffering of children, many of whom were malnourished.
“My feelings were a mixture of sadness and helplessness, and I also had a desire to send a message to the world about this tragedy,” he said.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Issa said the heartbreaking scenes resonated personally, as his own family was enduring the same suffering.
“The image documents a difficult moment reflecting extreme suffering. People in northern Gaza were suffering from a true famine,” he noted.
He said one of the most difficult aspects of capturing the devastation was that he, too, was living through the same crisis. “There was no transportation, which forced me to walk long distances to photograph the food distribution sites to convey the suffering of the people to the world outside,” he said.
“I felt that this picture was the closest to showing the suffering of the people, the crowds rushing to receive the food and the children screaming to be able to get some food,” Issa said.
Issa’s belief in the power of visual storytelling runs deep. To him, photography is not just about bearing witness; it’s about bearing responsibility.
“News photography is a powerful force to be reckoned with. It is not merely a documentation of events, but a tool capable of influencing public opinion, stimulating change, and revealing the truth,” he said.
He underlined that there is no doubt photography has the power to make a difference in the world.
“Just as a single image can have a profound impact, so too many images from Gaza had a profound global impact over the years,” Issa said.
Issa also highlighted the impact of technological advancements on photojournalism in conflict zones.
He noted that ultra-fast publishing enables news to spread instantly, while modern equipment provides clearer images, even under the most challenging conditions.
Issa described his reaction to winning the award as bittersweet, as feelings of joy were mixed with sadness over the ongoing bombing, siege, hunger, and destruction in Gaza.
“I hope this photo will be a reason to stop the war on the people of Gaza,” Issa said.
Anadolu’s İstanbul Photo Awards has become a cornerstone of global photojournalism, celebrating the art of visual storytelling while shedding light on critical issues worldwide, the Anadolu report added.
This year’s İstanbul Photo Awards contest is supported by Turkcell as the communication sponsor, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) as the overseas event sponsor, and Turkish Airlines as the airline sponsor.
More information on the winning photographs and jury members can be found here.
