'Haunting' image of Russia's war in Ukraine among winners of World Press Photo Awards

The picture 'perfectly captures the human suffering caused' by the war

Evgeniy Maloletka's images of war in Europe won Photo of the Year and the Europe Stories category. Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka / AP

Images of the conflict in Ukraine featured among the entries. Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka / AP

Maloletka has documented war in Europe. Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka / AP

An image taken by Maloletka. Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka / AP

An image by Hannah Reyes Morales, who won the South-East Asia and Oceania Stories category. Photo: Hannah Reyes Morales / The New York Times

Morales documented life in South-East Asia. Photo: Hannah Reyes Morales / The New York Times

Images from North and Central America earned Carlos Barria a win in the region's Stories category. Photo: Carlos Barria / Reuters

An image from the region. Photo: Carlos Barria / Reuters

North and Central America are among the regions featured in the awards. Photo: Carlos Barria / Reuters

A picture captured by Barria. Photo: Carlos Barria / Reuters

Alessandro Cinque's image in the South American Stories category. Photo: Alessandro Cinque / National Geographic

Cinque won the award for the category. Photo: Alessandro Cinque / National Geographic

An image of life in South America. Photo: Alessandro Cinque / National Geographic

An image captured by Cinque. Photo: Alessandro Cinque / National Geographic

Violence at a Palestinian funeral procession was captured by Maya Levin. Photo: Maya Levin / AP

Musuk Nolte won the South American Singles category. Photo: Musuk Nolte / Bertha Foundation

An image from the war in Ukraine by Alkis Konstantinidis, winner of the European Singles category. Photo: Alkis Konstantinidis / Reuters

Anush Babajanyan won the Long-Term Project category. Photo: VII Photo / National Geographic Society

An image captured by Babajanyan. Photo: VII Photo / National Geographic Society

Babajanyan's work stood out to the judges. Photo: VII Photo / National Geographic Society

Babajanyan's images have received an award. Photo: VII Photo / National Geographic Society

Babajanyan's work topped the Long-Term Project category. Photo: VII Photo / National Geographic Society

An entry from Babajanyan. Photo: VII Photo / National Geographic Society

An entry from Babajanyan. Photo: VII Photo / National Geographic Society

An entry from Babajanyan. Photo: VII Photo / National Geographic Society

Simone Tramonte won the European Long-Term Project category. Photo: Simone Tramonte

A picture of a wind farm. Photo: Simone Tramonte

Renewable energy was a theme of Tramonte's work. Photo: Simone Tramonte

An image captured by Tramonte. Photo: Simone Tramonte

An image captured by Tramonte. Photo: Simone Tramonte

An image captured by Tramonte. Photo: Simone Tramonte

Fabiola Ferrero won the South American Long-Term Project category. Photo: Fabiola Ferrero

An image captured by Ferrero. Photo: Fabiola Ferrero / Fondation Carmignac

An image captured by Ferrero. Photo: Fabiola Ferrero / Magnum Foundation

An image captured by Ferrero. Photo: Fabiola Ferrero

An image captured by Ferrero. Photo: Fabiola Ferrero

An image captured by Ferrero. Photo: Fabiola Ferrero

An image captured by Ferrero. Photo: Fabiola Ferrero

An image captured by Ferrero. Photo: Fabiola Ferrero / Fondation Carmignac

Kimberly de la Cruz won the South-East Asia and Oceania Long-Term Project category. Photo: Kimberly de la Cruz / W Eugene Smith Memorial Fund / VII Mentor Programme

An image captured by de la Cruz. Photo: Kimberly de la Cruz / W Eugene Smith Memorial Fund / VII Mentor Programme

An image captured by de la Cruz. Photo: Kimberly de la Cruz / W Eugene Smith Memorial Fund / VII Mentor Programme

An image captured by de la Cruz. Photo: Kimberly de la Cruz / W Eugene Smith Memorial Fund / VII Mentor Programme

An image captured by de la Cruz. Photo: Kimberly de la Cruz / W Eugene Smith Memorial Fund / VII Mentor Programme

An image captured by de la Cruz. Photo: Kimberly de la Cruz / W Eugene Smith Memorial Fund / VII Mentor Programme

An image by an anonymous photographer won the Asian Open Format category.

An image by an anonymous photographer, submitted for the Asian Open Format category.

Images by Cesar Dezfuli won the European Open Format category. Photo: Cesar Dezfuli / De Volkskrant

Images by Dezfuli won the European Open Format category. Photo: Cesar Dezfuli / De Volkskrant

Images by Dezfuli won the European Open Format category. Photo: Cesar Dezfuli / De Volkskrant

Images by Dezfuli won the European Open Format category. Photo: Cesar Dezfuli / De Volkskrant

Ashley Pena's work won the North and Central American Open Format category. Photo: Ashley Pena / New York Magazine

Pena's work won the North and Central American Open Format category. Photo: Ashley Pena / New York Magazine

Pena's work won the North and Central American Open Format category. Photo: Ashley Pena / New York Magazine

Pena's work won the North and Central American Open Format category. Photo: Ashley Pena / New York Magazine

Pena's work won the North and Central American Open Format category. Photo: Ashley Pena / New York Magazine

Pena's work won the North and Central American Open Format category. Photo: Ashley Pena / New York Magazine

Images by Johanna Alarcon won the South American Open Format category. Photo: Johanna Alarcon / Magnum Foundation / Panos Pictures

Images by Alarcon won the South American Open Format category. Photo: Johanna Alarcon / Magnum Foundation / Panos Pictures

Images by Alarcon won the South American Open Format category. Photo: Johanna Alarcon / Magnum Foundation / Panos Pictures

Images by Alarcon won the South American Open Format category. Photo: Johanna Alarcon / Magnum Foundation / Panos Pictures

Chad Ajamian's pictures won the South-East Asia and Oceania Open Format category. Photo: Chad Ajamian

Chad Ajamian, winner, Southeast Asia & Oceania, Open Format. Photo: Chad Ajamian

Ajamian's pictures won the South-East Asia and Oceania Open Format category. Photo: Chad Ajamian

Ajamian's pictures won the South-East Asia and Oceania Open Format category. Photo: Chad Ajamian

Images of war, peace and the climate crisis have been chosen as the winners of this year’s World Press Photo Awards.

Four images said to highlight the importance of press photography around the world were chosen from thousands of submissions.

A confronting image said to “perfectly capture the human suffering caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine” was named Photo of the Year.

Evgeniy Maloletka’s image, taken during the siege of Mariupol, shows a fatally wounded pregnant woman being carried on a stretcher amid the rubble of destroyed buildings. She died less than an hour after giving birth to the lifeless body of her baby.

The Story of the Year awarded was given to Mads Nissen for nine haunting but beautiful photos showing the reality for the people of Afghanistan who are now living under the Taliban with a lack of international aid.

The Long-Term Project Award was given to Anush Babajanyan for her years-long project capturing the effects that the end of the Soviet Union had on water management — a story not often covered outside of Central Asia.

The Open Format Award, meanwhile, was given to Mohamed Mahdy, who worked alongside residents of Al Max, in Alexandria, Egypt, to preserve the memory of their fast-disappearing fishing village.

The four global winners were selected from 24 regional winners, who were chosen from more than 60,000 entries. Submissions were made by 3,752 entrants from 127 countries.

Six regional juries judged initial entrants, the chairs of which came together to form a global jury that chose the final winners.

“Our four global winners represent the best photos and stories from the most important and urgent topics of 2022,” said Brent Lewis, global jury chairman, The New York Times photo editor and co-founder of Diversify Photo.

“They also help to continue the tradition of what it is possible to do with photography, and how photography helps us to see the universality of the human condition.”

Maloletka’s image was unanimously chosen as the winner of the World Press Photo of the Year.

With the vote being decided on the first anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, the jury spoke of the power of the image and the story behind it.

“Millions of people around the world will look at these photos and see death, despair, loss, and crisis,” said Joumana El Zein Khoury, executive director of World Press Photo.

“My wish is that they also see what I see — the hope that through documentation there is a chance of justice and a better future, through remembering we honour what is lost, and through the courage and dedication of these photographers we are inspired.

"By highlighting these global winners, we hope to help people understand the world we all share a little bit more.”

The winning photos and stories, alongside regional winners, will be part of an exhibition set to show in more than 60 cities around the world over the coming year, including Amsterdam, Rome, Berlin, Barcelona, Zurich, Tel Aviv, Taipei, Singapore, Mexico City, Jakarta, Sydney and Toronto.