Luca Tommasini, Italien

Pakistan: Stranded after the flood

How should we label the mass of water that devastated about 20 percent of Pakistan in 2010 and robbed approx. 20 million people of their homes, their fields, their cattle, their entire infrastructure and many cases, their lives? Flood of the century? Flood of the millennium?

And how should we label the unstoppable force that flooded parts of the Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh provinces in 2011? A flood of biblical proportions?

Pakistan: Stranded after the flood
Bild 1 von 10 © Luca Tommasini/Freelance Photographer
Pakistan: Stranded after the flood
Bild 2 von 10 © Luca Tommasini/Freelance Photographer
Pakistan: Stranded after the flood
Bild 3 von 10 © Luca Tommasini/Freelance Photographer
Pakistan: Stranded after the flood
Bild 4 von 10 © Luca Tommasini/Freelance Photographer
Pakistan: Stranded after the flood
Bild 5 von 10 © Luca Tommasini/Freelance Photographer
Pakistan: Stranded after the flood
Bild 6 von 10 © Luca Tommasini/Freelance Photographer
Pakistan: Stranded after the flood
Bild 7 von 10 © Luca Tommasini/Freelance Photographer
Pakistan: Stranded after the flood
Bild 8 von 10 © Luca Tommasini/Freelance Photographer
Pakistan: Stranded after the flood
Bild 9 von 10 © Luca Tommasini/Freelance Photographer
Pakistan: Stranded after the flood
Bild 10 von 10 © Luca Tommasini/Freelance Photographer

The pictures by Italian photographer Luca Tommasini don’t show any images of raging rivers bursting their banks. They only show those left behind, the survivors of a never ending catastrophe in the Sindh region.

At first, we see only people struggling to get their feet on dry land again – in simple clay huts, during improvised school classes, at meetings in front of a TV set. But it is completely uncertain where they are supposed to get food, clean water, medical help and work in the near future. The government, the military and aid organizations face sheer insurmountable difficulties.

Among the flood victims in Pakistan were nine million children. UNICEF took charge in coordinating emergency aid such as water supply, food distribution and the protection of children. Furthermore, UNICEF built emergency schools and child care centers and vaccinated 1.2 million women and children in August 2010. The catastrophe is a recurring nightmare for many families. After the country was hit yet again by severe floods in 2011, due to heavy monsoon rains, about five million people have been affected by this natural disaster, among them more than two million children.

Curriculum Vitae: Luca Tommasini

Luca Tomassini

I'm a Rome-based freelance photographer and beside my long term assignment as Head of Mission for an Italian NGO, I mostly worked with several NGOs and International Organizations on granting projects’ visibility through photographic and video reportages. I developed a significant experience in documenting both emergency and long term development projects, but I had the chance to work on my personal reportages too. During different field missions in Haiti, Pakistam Nigeria, WB&GS, Tanzania, Russia among others, I profusely covered a wide range of issues going from food and agriculture, fishing activities, health, education, critical impacts of energetic policies, always keeping a wide angle on the social and economic contexts.


Relevant Exhibitions

2010

Rome - Auditorium Parco della Musica: Food Sovereignty

2009

Rome - Palazzo Valentini: A walk near the sea of Gaza Rome

Strasbourg - European Parliament: A walk near the sea of Gaza

2008

Jerusalem - ECTAO Office (European Delegation): Disability in Palestine

Rome - International Festival of Photography: Dunum - Land of Palestine

2007

Ramallah - Zyriab Gallery: Labours in Palestine

2006

Rome - International Festival of Photography: Traces of Palestine

Relevant Awards

2011

Prix de la Photographie Paris 2011, Professional | Press-Political - Bittersweet Election

2010

Black and White Spider Awards 2010, Photojournalism - A walk near the sea of Gaza

2009

International Photography Awards 2009: Honourable Mention - A walk near the sea of Gaza

International Photography Awards 2009: Honourable Mention - Dunum - Land of Palestine

Work experiences | Assignments

2011

River State/Niger Delta, Nigeria - Campaign for the Reform of the World Bank

Pakistan - Pakistan Humanitarian Forum (PHF) - One Year On visibility campaign.

Fort Liberte', Haiti - Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Acul du Nord, Haiti - Vento di Terra Onlus

2010

Rome, Italy - International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty (I.P.C)

Patagonia, Chlie - Patagonia without Dams Campaign

Rome, Italy - International Centre for Education on Development (C.I.E.S.)

2009

Tanzania - Centro Internazionale Crocevia NGO

2008

WB&GS - Italian Cooperation for Development

WB&GS - Terre des Hommes Italy

WB&GS - Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

2007

WB&GS - Movimondo Ngo

WB&GS - Centro Internazionale Crocevia NGO

Jerusalem - Al Quds University

WB&GS - Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

2005

Palestinian Territories - Movimondo Ngo