The annual World Press Photo competition announced its winners on Thursday, showcasing an outstanding selection of photojournalism and documentary photography from around the world. The Image of the Year 2025 is by Palestinian photographer Samar Abu Elouf, shot for The New York Times, and captures Mahmoud Ajjour, a 9-year-old boy from Gaza, who was seriously wounded while fleeing an Israeli attack.

The photo, taken in Doha, where both photographer and child were evacuated, is a quiet but deeply disturbing depiction of a child with amputated arms looking out of a window. The image speaks not only of an individual tragedy but also of the lasting effects of war on future generations.

"It is a silent photograph, but it speaks loudly. This boy's story is also the story of a war whose consequences will last for generations," said Joumana El Zein Khoury, executive director of World Press Photo.

Along with the main prize winner, the jury also selected two runners-up images:
"Night Crossing" by John Moore (USA, Getty Images) - Chinese migrants at the US-Mexico border, captured in a moment of intimacy and vulnerability.

World Press Photo exhibition comes back to Bucharest

Cristian Movilă, president of the Eidos Foundation, said that "we have been bringing World Press Photo to Romania for more than ten years, because these images do not let us look away. At a time when democracy is being put to the test, they remind us of the power of truth and the courage to face it".

70 years of World Press Photo

The 2025 edition marks seven decades of existence for World Press Photo - a global platform that continues to support and celebrate the power of authentic imagery to bring truth, compassion and action to the forefront.
The World Press Photo exhibition is brought to Romania by the Eidos Foundation, funded by the Ministry of Culture and organized as part of the "Open Streets - Bucharest, Urban Promenade" program, a project of the Bucharest City Hall, through the Department of Culture, Education, Tourism, together with ARCUB - Cultural Centre of Bucharest and PROEDUS - Centre for Educational and Sports Projects of Bucharest, as area operators.

Written by News.ro| April 17, 2025, 12:08