Photo of the Year 2010

Afghanistan: The devastating consequences of civil wars

Afghanistan’s past: Soviet invasion in 1978, outbreak of the civil war. Consequence: refugees. Withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989, mujahideen take Kabul. Outbreak of yet another civil war. Consequence: refugees. Overthrow of the Taliban regime after 9/11 by an alliance lead by the US. Bloody internal struggles. Consequence: refugees. Afghanistan’s future: despite uncertain circumstances, approx. 4 million refugees have returned from Pakistan and Iran and now are trying to settle down again in their home country.

Among these refugees was the family of 8-year-old Akram. They looked for shelter in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. Even as a small boy, Akram tried to make some money by collecting scrap on a garbage dump in Peshawar. While rummaging through the garbage, he once accidentally touched a non-insulated cable. Both his hands and arms had to be amputated because of severe burns. In the meantime, Akram’s family has returned to Kabul where he received arm prostheses thanks to the help of the International Red Cross. Looking at the pictures taken by Iranian photographer Majid Saeedi, we are astonished by the natural way the children treat each other and their compassion for each other. Majid Saeedi has also captured the playful ease shown by healthy children when handling these ‘spare body parts’. The horrible realization of being severely disabled for one’s whole life, however, only sets in when people get older. And this realization is cruel because it’s final.

Majid Saeedi / Iran

Born 1974 in Tehran, Iran.
Education: Art

Work Experience:

• Head of photo department
  for nine newspapers in Iran since 1998 in different periods
• Photographer of Getty Images
  since 2004
• Photographer of Time Magazine
  in Afghanistan till now
• In 2001 Founder of Photo News Agency
  head of photo department in 2004

Awards:

• "Best Photographer of The Year" in Iran
  in 1992/1994/1996/1997/1999/2000/2001
• International Art Festival 2005
  Second Prize
• 4 Gold Medals from Asahi Japan
  in 2000/2005/2006/2008
• First Prize of International Photo Awards:
  USA 2005, Prize of POY
  USA 2007, Prize of POY
  USA 2010, Prize of POY