K.M. Asad, Bangladesh

Although they had lived for generations in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, the military junta’s 1982 Citizenship Act rendered them stateless. As a result, the Muslim Rohingya were excluded from mostly Buddhist Myanmar’s official list of 135 ethnic groups; so most of their children have no access to medical help and are not allowed to attend school.

300,000 Rohingya had already fled to neighboring Bangladesh, when the exodus of another 600,000 Rohingya began in August 2017 after Rohingya militants attacked several police posts. In the face of this humanitarian crisis, the UN spoke of “ethnic cleansing”, “crimes against humanity” and “genocide”.

The photojournalist K.M. Asad was born in 1983 in Dhaka and works for several international media. He captured this seemingly tranquil moment of a Rohingya refugee and her child arriving on the beach of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh.

Thousands have crossed the border on foot or, such as the woman in the picture, by boat. With them they bring the experience of mass killings and rape. Their villages and fields: burned. Their belongings: destroyed. Their families: torn. Asad’s picture of mother and child who look like they were ascending from the sea: an image of life and limb saved. It also shows, however, a humanitarian disaster. Among its victims are approximately 320,000 children.

Curriculum Vitae: K.M. Asad (Zuma Press)

Mohammed Badra was born in Douma, Syria. He studied architecture at Damascus University but had to abandon his studies in his third year due to the war. After working for other news agencies he joined epa (European Pressphoto Agency) in October, 2015 as staff photographer. Mohammed has also worked with the Syrian Red Crescent as a first-aider, psychological supporter and photographer. His strong desire is that his photography contributes to a better awareness of the ongoing crisis in Syria.