FIGHTING EBOLA
The Ebola outbreak of 2014-2015 exacted a terrible toll on major countries of West Africa. Latest estimates from the World Health Organization indicate that over 11,000 lives were lost to the deadly virus since the first documented case was officially recorded.
These images cover the first months of the outbreak in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
ANNEXATION
OF CRIMEA
Russian soldiers without any form of insignia blocked all major Ukrainian military bases and cities on the Crimean peninsula in early 2014.
The annexation took place in the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution and was part of wider unrest across southern and eastern Ukraine.
WAR IN GAZA
Following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers by Hamas members, the IDF conducted Operation Brother's Keeper to arrest militant leaders, Hamas fired rockets into Israel and a seven-week conflict broke out. It was one of the deadliest conflicts between the Palestinians and Israeli in decades. The combined Israeli airstrikes and ground bombardment and Palestinian rocket attacks resulted in thousands of deaths, the vast majority of which were Gazans.
UPHEAVAL
IN KIEV
Euromaidan was a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on the night of 21 November 2013 with public protests in Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kiev.
The situation escalated after the violent dispersal of protesters on November 30th, leading to many more protesters joining. The protests led to the 2014 Ukrainian revolution.
NINJA MINERS
Many people lost their jobs after the fall of the People's Republic of Mongolia and became traditional herders. In 2001 and 2002 Mongolia faced two harsh winters (known as dzuds), and a third of the country's livestock was lost. Thousands of families took up so called ninja mining, searching for quartz or gold on properties large mining companies deemed unmineable. The self-dug mines go up to 20 meters deep and are often very unstable and in danger of collapse.
LIVING
OFF TRASH
Ghazipur is one of the largest landfills in India. It was opened in 1984 and reached its capacity in 2002 when it should have been closed. But the city’s detritus has kept on arriving each day in hundreds of trucks. Hundreds of people live right on this landfill searching through faeces and garbage for something worth selling to junkyards.
DIREN GEZI
A wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Turkey began on 28 May 2013, initially to contest the urban development plan for Istanbul's Taksim Gezi Park. The protests were sparked by outrage at the violent eviction of a sit-in at the park protesting the plan.
This collection covers the last 48 hours when the peaceful occupation of Gezi Park in Istanbul turned into street riots.
WAR ON CHRISTIANS
Coptic Christians are the largest religious minority in Egypt.
In August 2013, following the July 2013 Coup and clashes between the military and Morsi supporters, there were widespread attacks on Coptic churches and institutions in Egypt by Morsi supports. According to at least one Egyptian scholar (Samuel Tadros), the attacks are the worst violence against the Coptic Church since the 14th century.
CHILD SOLDIERS
During the first and second civil conflicts which took place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), all sides involved in the war actively recruited or conscripted child soldiers, known locally as Kadogos which is a Swahili term meaning "little ones".
After the conflict ended those who survived were often expelled from families and villages. They now live in UNHCR camps, some of them decommissioned.
THE
COCAINE WAR
Colombia has had four major drug trafficking cartels and several bandas criminales.
The Colombian government efforts to reduce the influence of drug-related criminal organizations is one of the origins of the Colombian conflict, an ongoing low-intensity war among rival narcoparamilitary groups, guerrillas and drug cartels fighting each other to increase their influence and against the Colombian government that struggles to stop them.
THE COFFEE CHILDREN
Child labor is widespread in coffee cultivation. When the price of coffee rises, the incentive for struggling families to withdraw their children from school and send them to work increases.
Children as young as six years old often work eight to 10 hours a day and are exposed to the many health and safety hazards of coffee harvesting.
EBOLA SURVIVOR
Those who have survived Ebola develop an immunity to the virus. When a patient is discharged from the treatment centre, they receive a document certifying that they no long pose a risk to their community.
The majority are confronted with discrimination, stigmatization and rejection by their families and neighbours.
This collection is a set of portraits of survivors who were expelled from their communities.