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People hold banners of Che Guevara at a march in Havana
Cubans march on International Workers' Day in Jose Marti Anti-Imperialist Square in Havana, May 1, 2026 [Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo]
Crowds gather for a protest in front of the US embassy
Cubans mark International Workers' Day at the US Embassy in Havana, May 1, 2026 [Adalberto Roque/AFP]
Cuba's former president Raul Castro, centre, arrives for a gathering marking International Workers' Day Jose Marti Anti-Imperialist Square in Havana, May 1, 2026 [Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo]
A man holds a sign reading 'no to war, yes to dialogue'
A sign reads 'No to war, yes to dialogue' during a march on International Workers' Day at the Anti-Imperialist Tribunal in front of the US Embassy in Havana, May 1, 2026 [Adalberto Roque/AFP]
people rest during a International Workers Day celebration
Taking a break after a march marking International Workers' Day in Havana, Cuba, Friday, May 1, 2026 [Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo]
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel marches in a May Day parade in Havana, May 1, 2026 [Norlys Perez/Reuters via Pool]
Marchers hold the Cuban flag
Marching along Havana's waterfront to mark International Workers' Day, May 1, 2026 [Adalberto Roque/AFP]
People dance at a march in Havana, Cuba
Dancing in Havana on International Workers' Day, May 1, 2026 [Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo]
A man with a poster of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro
A poster of late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, May 1, 2026 [Adalberto Roque/AFP]
+5
Iraq's marshes revived: long-awaited rains bring life back to wetlands
A fishing boat in the Hawizeh Marsh in Maysan province, southern Iraq, after water returned due to rainfall following a long period of drought. [Hussein Faleh/AFP]
Iraq's marshes revived: long-awaited rains bring life back to wetlands
Hawizeh is a transboundary marsh shared by Iraq and Iran. [Hussein Faleh/AFP]
Iraq's marshes revived: long-awaited rains bring life back to wetlands
A water buffalo feeds as it wades through the Iraqi Hawizeh Marsh in Maysan province, southern Iraq. [Hussein Faleh/AFP]
Iraq's marshes revived: long-awaited rains bring life back to wetlands
The Huwaizah Marshes in southern Iraq are part of the famed Mesopotamian wetlands, long considered one of the world’s great cradle-of-civilisation landscapes. [Hussein Faleh/AFP]
Iraq's marshes revived: long-awaited rains bring life back to wetlands
A boy rests as fishermen ride in their boat through the Iraqi Hawizeh Marsh in Maysan province. [Hussein Faleh/AFP]
Iraq's marshes revived: long-awaited rains bring life back to wetlands
Fed by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the marshes support rich biodiversity, including migratory birds, fish and water buffalo. [Hussein Faleh/AFP]
Iraq's marshes revived: long-awaited rains bring life back to wetlands
Marsh buffalo milk is an iconic part of Iraqi cuisine, as is the thick, clotted “geymar” cream Iraqis love to have with honey for breakfast. [Hussein Faleh/AFP]
Iraq's marshes revived: long-awaited rains bring life back to wetlands
After years of drought worsened by upstream dams and climate change, recent winter rains have helped restore water levels, bringing cautious hope to the Indigenous communities who rely on fishing and herding. [Hussein Faleh/AFP]
Iraq's marshes revived: long-awaited rains bring life back to wetlands
Despite the revival, the ecosystem remains fragile and dependent on consistent water flows and stronger environmental protections. [Hussein Faleh/AFP]
+5
Hawa Moalim, 33, fled Wajid in the Bakool region after the drought destroyed her livelihood. She began the journey to Baidoa with her six children and the few goats that had survived, determined to give her family a chance. One by one, the animals died on the road. By the time the family arrived at Wayamo displacement camp two weeks ago, they had nothing left. "We arrived here hoping for help," she says. "But since we came, we have received nothing. There is no food, no water, and no proper shelter." Wayamo displacement camp, Baidoa, Southwest State, Somalia. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Hawa Moalim, 33, sits with her children at Wayamo displacement camp in Baidoa, in Somalia’s Southwest state, after fleeing the Bakool region when drought destroyed her livelihood. She began the journey with six children and a few surviving goats, but the animals died along the way, leaving the family with nothing by the time they arrived two weeks ago. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Anab Siyad, 62, stands with the few goats she has left. Once a pastoralist with a much larger herd, most of her animals have died as the rains failed and water sources dried up across the region. The remaining animals struggle to survive in a dry and barren landscape. For Anab, these few goats represent the last thread of a livelihood that has been unravelling for years. Near Dollow, Gedo region, Somalia. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Anab Siyad, 62, stands with the few goats she has left near Dollow in Somalia’s Gedo region. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Fatima Adan, 49, is one of the newly arrived families at Qaydar-adde camp. When the rains failed and her animals began to die in the Bakool region, she and her family loaded what they could onto a donkey cart and spent days on the road with little food or water before finally reaching Baidoa. At the camp, access to food, safe water, and healthcare remains critically limited. Humanitarian assistance has been scarce as funding continues to fall short of the $852 million requested for Somalia in 2026 (OCHA). Qaydar-adde displacement camp, Baidoa, Southwest State, Somalia. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Fatima Adan, 49, sits outside her makeshift shelter at Qaydar-adde displacement camp in Baidoa, in Somalia’s Southwest state. After failed rains and the death of her animals in the Bakool region, she and her family loaded what they could onto a donkey cart and spent days on the road with little food or water before reaching the camp. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Water sources across rural Somalia have dried up as the drought continues to deepen. Communities are forced to walk for hours in search of water for their families and for the livestock that sustain them. Without water, the last herds die. Without herds, there is nothing left to sell, nothing to eat, and no reason to stay. Bay region, Somalia. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Water sources across rural Somalia have dried up as the drought deepens, forcing communities to walk for hours in search of water for their families and the livestock they rely on. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Muslima Hussein, 68, was displaced from the Bakool region after the drought turned her farm barren and killed her livestock. At her age, the journey on foot alongside her daughter took days. The relief she expected in Baidoa has not come. She now lives at Wayamo camp without proper shelter, food, or support. "Before the drought, we had livestock and a farm," she says. "Everything changed when we missed the rains. Now we have nothing." Her greatest concern is her grandchildren. "My grandchildren always cry for food, and I cannot help them." Wayamo displacement camp, Baidoa, Southwest State, Somalia. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Muslima Hussein, 68, sits outside her makeshift shelter at Wayamo displacement camp in Baidoa. With her crops withered and her livestock gone, the drought in Bakool has plunged her into a desperate struggle for survival. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Hawa Ali Abdi is a 13 year old young girl displaced by drought, lives with her family in Kabasa camp in Dollow. Each day she walks long distances to collect water from the nearest water point, a journey that takes hours under the scorching sun. Like many displaced children in Somalia's camps, her education has been suspended. Survival has taken the place of school. Kabasa camp, Dollow, Gedo region, Somalia. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Hawa Ali Abdi, 13, carries containers of water at Kabasa displacement camp in Dollow, in Somalia’s Gedo region. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Farhiya Abdullahi Derow, 20, fled El Berde after losing all her livestock, her main source of income. Her husband disappeared during the crisis and she still does not know his whereabouts. On the journey to Baidoa, she and her children survived by stopping along the road to eat wild roots. She arrived at Qaydar-adde camp exhausted and with nothing. "We need food, my children have nothing to eat," she says. "I go out to beg just to feed my children." Qaydar-adde displacement camp, Baidoa, Southwest State, Somalia. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Farhiya Abdullahi Derow, 20, sits with her children at Qaydar-adde displacement camp in Baidoa, after fleeing El Berde when the drought wiped out her livestock, her main source of income. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Mohamed Ganey is 63 years old, disabled, and living with high blood pressure. When drought destroyed his family's livestock in the Bakool region, he was too weak to walk. His children carried him on a donkey cart for several days with little food or water before reaching Baidoa. At the displacement camp, he has no access to food and cannot afford the medicine he needs. He spends most of his time lying in a temporary shelter, waiting for his children to return. Some days, they come back with nothing. Baidoa, Southwest State, Somalia. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Mohamed Ganey, 63, lies in a temporary shelter at a displacement camp in Baidoa. Disabled and living with high blood pressure, he was too weak to walk when the drought destroyed his family’s livestock in the Bakool region, so his children carried him on a donkey cart for several days with little food or water before reaching safety. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Habiba Abdi Nishow, 43 years old, made a long journey from the Bakool region and arrived at Wayamo camp hoping to receive humanitarian assistance. She has received none. "We lost everything," she explains. "I had a farm and a herd of goats, but the goats died and the crops failed after the rains didn't come." Humanitarian organisations across Somalia are struggling to respond as funding cuts reduce the scale of the response. Wayamo displacement camp, Baidoa, Southwest State, Somalia. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Habiba Abdi Nishow, 43, sits outside her shelter at Wayamo displacement camp in Baidoa, after a long journey from the Bakool region, hoping to receive humanitarian assistance. She says she has received none. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Shukri Adan Hassan, 23, and her six children fled Wajid after losing all their livestock in the September drought and arrived in Baidoa seeking refuge. She is building a temporary shelter at Qaydar-adde camp with whatever materials she can find. Since arriving, the family has not received any humanitarian assistance. Qaydar-adde displacement camp, Baidoa, Southwest State, Somalia. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Shukri Adan Hassan, 23, builds a temporary shelter from branches and tarpaulins at Qaydar-adde displacement camp in Baidoa. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Farhia Isack is 28 and was displaced from the Bay region after the prolonged drought wiped out her rainfed farm and her livestock. Since arriving in Baidoa with her five children, she has received no income and no humanitarian assistance. Determined to keep her children alive, she walks to the outskirts of the city each day to collect branches from the Acacia tree, which she processes into a crude form of broth; the family's only source of nourishment. "I walk long distances under the sun just to find these trees," she says. "My children cry from hunger, and I have no answer for them. I am doing everything I can, but I cannot do this alone." Baidoa, Southwest State, Somalia. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Farhia Isack, 28, prepares a simple broth made from acacia tree branches in Baidoa. Displaced from the Bay region after a prolonged drought wiped out her rainfed farm and livestock, she arrived in the town with her five children and has received no income or humanitarian assistance. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Newly arrived families at Wayamo displacement camp construct temporary shelters from plastic sheets, sticks, and scraps of cloth. The structures offer minimal protection from the intense heat and provide almost no privacy or safety. Qaydar-adde camp in Baidoa is one of the main destinations for families fleeing drought from the Bay and Bakool regions, but the growing number of arrivals has pushed already limited resources to breaking point. Access to safe water, sanitation, and healthcare is critically inadequate. Wayamo displacement camp, Baidoa, Southwest State, Somalia. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Newly arrived families at Wayamo displacement camp in Baidoa, in Somalia’s Southwest state, construct temporary shelters from plastic sheets, sticks, and scraps of cloth that offer little protection from the intense heat and almost no privacy or safety. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Hassan Adan is 47 years old and has been living at Wayamo camp in Baidoa for three months, after fleeing the Bakool region when drought destroyed his pastoral livelihood. Every morning he wakes before sunrise and walks to the Baidoa meat market, not to buy food, but to collect the goat legs that butchers discard. On days he finds nothing, his children go to sleep hungry. "It breaks me to feed my children what others throw away," he says. "But I have no choice. This is the only way I can keep them alive." Wayamo displacement camp, Baidoa, Southwest State, Somalia. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Hassan Adan, 47, stands outside his shelter at Wayamo displacement camp in Baidoa, three months after fleeing the Bakool region when the drought destroyed his pastoral livelihood. Every morning, he wakes before sunrise and walks to the Baidoa meat market - not to buy food, but to collect discarded goat legs from butchers for cooking. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Shamsa Abdiwahab is 27 years old mother of seven, fled her home after drought destroyed the family's livelihood and sought refuge at a displacement camp in Dollow. With almost no access to food, the family survives on a single meal a day. "When my six-month-old baby cries because there is little milk," she says, "that is my most painful moment." Dollow, Gedo region, Somalia. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Shamsa Abdiwahab, 27, holds her six-month-old baby at a displacement camp in Dollow, in Somalia’s Gedo region. A mother of seven, she fled her home after the drought destroyed the family’s livelihood and sought refuge at the camp, where they survive on a single meal a day. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Ibrahim Ebdow, 83, is an elderly man with no children, fled the Bakool region alongside neighbours after losing more than 40 goats to the drought: his entire livelihood. With no family to support him, he had no choice but to leave. He now depends on the kindness of others to survive each day at Wayamo camp. "I lost everything," he says. "I only hope for some help to survive and live with dignity." Wayamo displacement camp, Baidoa, Southwest State, Somalia. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
Ibrahim Ebdow, 83, sits outside a shelter at Wayamo displacement camp in Baidoa. An elderly man with no children, he fled the Bakool region alongside neighbours after losing more than 40 goats - his entire livelihood - to the drought. [Abdulkadir Mohamed/NRC]
+11
North Korea opens museum for troops killed fighting for Russia
Russia's Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin clap as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the opening ceremony of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations honouring North Korean troops killed while fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine, in Pyongyang, North Korea. [KCNA via Reuters]
North Korea opens museum for troops killed fighting for Russia
A string of high-level Russian officials has visited North Korea in recent days, with Defence Minister Andrei Belousov meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sunday, according to official statements. [KCNA via AFP]
North Korea opens museum for troops killed fighting for Russia
Balloons fly overhead as soldiers stand in position next to memorial stones during the opening ceremony of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats. [KCNA via Reuters]
North Korea opens museum for troops killed fighting for Russia
Kim, Belousov and Russia's State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin raise a toast during a banquet hosted for the Russian delegation visiting North Korea to attend the opening ceremony. [KCNA via Reuters]
North Korea opens museum for troops killed fighting for Russia
North Korea “will as ever fully support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend the national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests”, Kim told Belousov, according to the KCNA. [KCNA via Reuters]
North Korea opens museum for troops killed fighting for Russia
Kim has reaffirmed North Korea's support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, promising to help Moscow achieve victory in its “sacred” war, state media reported on Monday. [KCNA via Reuters]
North Korea opens museum for troops killed fighting for Russia
In a speech, Kim paid tribute to their “unrivalled bravery, mass heroism, indomitable fighting spirit and noble sacrifice”, KCNA said. [KCNA via Reuters]
North Korea opens museum for troops killed fighting for Russia
Kim expressed belief that the “Russian army and people would surely win a victory in the just sacred war”, KCNA reported. [KCNA via Reuters]
North Korea opens museum for troops killed fighting for Russia
He took part in a ceremony to bury the victims of war, recalling their “last heroic moments” and covering the remains of a soldier with earth. [KCNA via Reuters]
North Korea opens museum for troops killed fighting for Russia
Kim joins Belousov as he inaugurates the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations, honouring North Korean troops killed while fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine, in Pyongyang, North Korea. [KCNA via Reuters]
+6
Bomb attack on Colombia highway kills 19 ahead of election
People gather at the site of a bomb attack at El Tunel, on the Popayan-Cali road, in Cajibio, Cauca department, Colombia. [Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP]
Bomb attack on Colombia highway kills 19 ahead of election
The highway bomb attack in Colombia's southwestern Cauca department killed 19 people and injured at least 38. [Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP]
Bomb attack on Colombia highway kills 19 ahead of election
People stand next to victims covered with white sheets at the site of the blast. [Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP]
Bomb attack on Colombia highway kills 19 ahead of election
The attack comes just over one month ahead of national elections, in which voters will pick a successor to President Gustavo Petro. [Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP]
Bomb attack on Colombia highway kills 19 ahead of election
Red Cross workers carry an injured person. [Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP]
Bomb attack on Colombia highway kills 19 ahead of election
President Gustavo Petro blamed the bombing on Ivan Mordisco, the South American country's most-wanted criminal, whom the president has compared to late cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar. [Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP]
Bomb attack on Colombia highway kills 19 ahead of election
The violence came after a bomb attack on Friday on a military base in Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, injured two people. [Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP]
Bomb attack on Colombia highway kills 19 ahead of election
Military chief Hugo Lopez said on Saturday that 26 attacks have been recorded in Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments over the last two days. [Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP]
Bomb attack on Colombia highway kills 19 ahead of election
Security is one of the central issues of the May 31 presidential election. [Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP]
Bomb attack on Colombia highway kills 19 ahead of election
Authorities have boosted military and police presence in the areas, Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday. [Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP]
+6
Survivors return to Chernobyl, 40 years after devastating explosion
Workers who helped clean up the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster honour their fallen comrades. [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
Survivors return to Chernobyl, 40 years after devastating explosion
Oleksii Lebedynets, 65, served in the military from 1986 to 1991, building fences in contaminated areas. He suffered from headaches for the rest of his life. Returning now, he stopped at Pripyat, the nearby city for Chornobyl's workers, which has been abandoned since the accident. "It's heartbreaking to see Pripyat now," he said. "I remember those houses when they were full of life, and now everything is overgrown and in ruins. It was such a beautiful city." [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
Survivors return to Chernobyl, 40 years after devastating explosion
Stanislav Tolumnyi, 65, left, and Mykola Chudak, 66, walk with fellow workers who helped clean up contamination from the 1986 Chornobyl nuclear disaster, in the nearby abandoned town of Prypiat. [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
Survivors return to Chernobyl, 40 years after devastating explosion
Bumper cars sit idle at an overgrown amusement park in Pripyat, Ukraine, a town abandoned following the nearby 1986 Chornobyl nuclear disaster. [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
Survivors return to Chernobyl, 40 years after devastating explosion
Anatolii Prylipko, 66, first arrived nine days after the accident and drove a fire truck for a month, working two-hour shifts to limit his exposure. He initially was unaware of the risks but suffered a health crisis in 1990 and could not work for a year. Returning now for the first time since that deployment, he found the landscape disorienting, with villages erased and the reactor sealed under protective layers. "Back then, the whole place was packed: machinery, helicopters, they were everywhere," he said. "The road to Kyiv was so crowded you couldn't pass anyone." [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
Survivors return to Chernobyl, 40 years after devastating explosion
Volodymyr Vechirko, 62, one of the workers who helped decontaminate the area around the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant after the 1986 accident, rides in a bus with fellow workers for a visit to the region before the 40th anniversary of the disaster in Chornobyl, Ukraine. [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
Survivors return to Chernobyl, 40 years after devastating explosion
In summer 1986, Anatolii Krutik, 63, was deployed as part of an army battalion to fence off contaminated territory and designate "exclusion zones". He first went to villages in what is now Belarus, which also received heavy radioactive fallout, before he headed to Chornobyl to clean areas around the remaining reactors that were still running. At the time, he said, there was little sense of fear. "No one really thought about it. We didn't know what it was, this invisible enemy," he said, adding his comrades saw it simply as their duty after being mobilised. [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
Survivors return to Chernobyl, 40 years after devastating explosion
Paintings of deer decorate a wall in the abandoned town of Prypiat, Ukraine, near the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
Survivors return to Chernobyl, 40 years after devastating explosion
Viktor Hluhovtsov, 66, was sent to Ukraine and Belarus, where large areas had to be fenced off due to radiation in the soil and abandoned buildings. With dark humour, he jokes about his many illnesses. "As my wife says, I have a whole bouquet of ailments," he says. After being hospitalised for weeks this year, he recovered and said he hopes to see Ukraine push back the Russian invasion. "The doctors didn't know what to do with me, but thank God I survived," he said. "Now I just hope to live long enough to see the end of this war - long enough to see victory." [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
Survivors return to Chernobyl, 40 years after devastating explosion
Volodymyr Vechirko, 62, was sent to Chornobyl in summer 1986 to clear away topsoil, clean buildings and make the other still-functioning reactors on the site safe. He has been ill for much of his life, which he attributes to working at the disaster site, including chronic dizziness, weakness and frequent pain. Because of his poor health, he said, he lost touch with colleagues from that time. "Being back here now, the emotions are overwhelming," he said. "It's incredibly sad to compare what this place was to what it is now." [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
Survivors return to Chernobyl, 40 years after devastating explosion
In 1989, Anatolii Taranenko, 62, was a security officer, guarding facilities and abandoned homes. Deployments were short due to radiation, and orders were followed without question. He has returned several times since, despite the grief that accompanies each visit. "Back then, that was just how it was: If you were needed, you went," he said. He said he is still being treated for health problems at a veterans' hospital in Poltava and does his best to stay fit. "We are military people - once a soldier, always a soldier. That's how I live my life. You have to hold yourself together," he said. "You can't just give up." [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
Survivors return to Chernobyl, 40 years after devastating explosion
Serhii Buriak, 60, served in a special Interior Ministry unit in 1988, patrolling Pripyat and nearby areas to guard against looting. His duties included securing abandoned buildings. He said his return visit reconnected him with the sense of duty he felt, while many liquidators still struggle for recognition. "Returning here after 40 years is a massive adrenaline rush for me. It brings back so many memories of my youth and what life was like during those times," he said. "It was important for me to come back to remember those years and to show my son where I fulfilled my duty to my country." [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
Survivors return to Chernobyl, 40 years after devastating explosion
Workers who were sent to clean up contamination from the 1986 Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident pass through a radiation inspection point at the plant in Chornobyl, Ukraine. [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
Survivors return to Chernobyl, 40 years after devastating explosion
Mykola Chudak, 66, a firefighter, served for six months, beginning in November 1986, working within 10km (6 miles) of the plant. He focused not on his own role but on the first responders who acted immediately, saying they prevented a far greater catastrophe, often at the cost of their own lives. His service was extended because of a lack of replacements, and years later, he was forced into early retirement due to disability. For him, Chornobyl carries both personal and national significance. "Ukraine must always be grateful to the heroes of Chornobyl," he said. "Being back here, my first feeling is one of immense gratitude for the sacrifice made by my comrades. In many ways, the independence of Ukraine was born on April 26, 1986, in Chornobyl. Without their heroism, an independent Ukraine might not even exist today." [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
Ukraine Chernobyl Liquidators Photo Essay
Workers who helped clean up contamination from the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident place flowers at a monument at the facility in Chornobyl. [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
Survivors return to Chernobyl, 40 years after devastating explosion
From May to September 1986, Oleksii Harbuz, 72, a medical officer and dentist, treated patients while his unit worked on decontamination. He also worked in Belarus, which put him close to the human costs of the disaster. Returning for the first time in decades, he recalled colleagues who have since died and the bonds formed among survivors. "This 40th anniversary represents both a deep tragedy and a vital chance to reunite with my brothers-in-arms," he said. "So many of our colleagues have passed away over the years, but those of us remaining hold on. Being back here for the first time in 40 years is overwhelming. I feel a deep sense of pain, and it brings tears to my eyes. It is good that we can meet like this." [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]
+12
Mughal-era pigeon training survives in heart of India's capital
Mohammed Rashid, alias "Rambo", a pigeon keeper, feeds his birds as he trains them, on the rooftop of a restaurant in the old quarters of Delhi, India. [Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters]
Mughal-era pigeon training survives in heart of India's capital
A pigeon keeper sits under a net as he feeds and trains his pigeons on the rooftop of his house, in the old quarters of Delhi. [Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters]
Mughal-era pigeon training survives in heart of India's capital
Azhar Udeen, 30, prepares a mixture of pearl millets to feed his pigeons at his home. [Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters]
Mughal-era pigeon training survives in heart of India's capital
A pigeon sits on a rooftop in the old quarters of Delhi. [Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters]
Mughal-era pigeon training survives in heart of India's capital
A pigeon keeper calls his birds back to the rooftop using distinctive sounds as he trains the flock at his house. [Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters]
Mughal-era pigeon training survives in heart of India's capital
Azhar Udeen shows a pigeon marked with pink colouring on its feathers to differentiate it from other flocks. [Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters]
Mughal-era pigeon training survives in heart of India's capital
Pigeon keepers and spectators watch the birds in flight as the flocks are tested for distance and their ability to return against the wind, as part of pigeon flying competitions, which, according to the keepers, are held annually. [Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters]
Mughal-era pigeon training survives in heart of India's capital
A pigeon keeper scares away birds as he trains them on the rooftop of a restaurant. [Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters]
Mughal-era pigeon training survives in heart of India's capital
A kabootarbaaz stands with a handmade racket used to scare away pigeons while training. [Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters]
Mughal-era pigeon training survives in heart of India's capital
Abdul Wahid, a pigeon keeper, looks up while searching for pigeons flying overhead outside a house. [Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters]
Mughal-era pigeon training survives in heart of India's capital
Azhar Udeen covers his terrace with a net before he lets out his new flock of pigeons to train and familiarise them with their new home. [Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters]
Mughal-era pigeon training survives in heart of India's capital
Pigeons fly over the rooftops of buildings in Old Delhi, India. [Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters]
+8
Tens of thousands return to southern Lebanon despite warnings and risks
Displaced people returning to their villages following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, cross the destroyed Qasmiyeh bridge near Tyre city, south Lebanon. [Mohammed Zaatari/AP Photo]
Tens of thousands return to southern Lebanon despite warnings and risks
Displaced residents wave a flag with the image of Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem as they return to their villages, in Zefta, southern Lebanon. [Hassan Ammar/AP Photo]
Tens of thousands return to southern Lebanon despite warnings and risks
Residents drive past the rubble of destroyed buildings in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs. [Bilal Hussein/AP Photo]
Tens of thousands return to southern Lebanon despite warnings and risks
Barber Mohammad Mehdi cuts the hair of his client, Ayman al-Zein, inside his shop, damaged in an Israeli attack that also damaged the latter's shop, in Dahiyeh. [Hassan Ammar/AP Photo]
Tens of thousands return to southern Lebanon despite warnings and risks
Displaced residents drive a motorcycle back to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Sidon, Lebanon. [Hassan Ammar/AP Photo]
Tens of thousands return to southern Lebanon despite warnings and risks
A displaced woman holding her dog sits in her tent in Beirut, awaiting an official order from Hezbollah to return to her home in south Lebanon. [Hussein Malla/AP Photo]
Tens of thousands return to southern Lebanon despite warnings and risks
A man rides a horse past the site of buildings destroyed in an Israeli air attack, in Jebchit, southern Lebanon. [Hassan Ammar/AP Photo]
Tens of thousands return to southern Lebanon despite warnings and risks
A resident walks amid debris inside a mosque destroyed in an Israeli attack in Jebchit. [Hassan Ammar/AP Photo]
Tens of thousands return to southern Lebanon despite warnings and risks
Two girls chant slogans as one holds an image of the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Dahiyeh. [Bilal Hussein/AP Photo]
Tens of thousands return to southern Lebanon despite warnings and risks
A Hezbollah health unit member, Ali Fahos, places portraits of his colleagues, killed during the previous war with Israel, next to a building destroyed in an Israeli air attack in Jebchit. [Hassan Ammar/AP Photo]
Tens of thousands return to southern Lebanon despite warnings and risks
Displaced residents drive back to their villages following a ceasefire, in Jiyeh, near Sidon. [Hassan Ammar/AP Photo]
Tens of thousands return to southern Lebanon despite warnings and risks
A woman enters her house, heavily damaged in an Israeli air raid in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon. [Hassan Ammar/AP Photo]
Tens of thousands return to southern Lebanon despite warnings and risks
An ambulance belonging to Hezbollah's health unit lies amid the rubble of a medical centre destroyed in an Israeli attack in Jebchit. [Hassan Ammar/AP Photo]
Tens of thousands return to southern Lebanon despite warnings and risks
Lebanese Rida Hijazi checks his house damaged in an Israeli air attack in the city of Tyre, southern Lebanon. [Bilal Hussein/AP Photo]
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Afghan villagers turn to gold panning to sustain livelihoods
Afghan men draw water from Kunar River to sift through excavated mountainside stones in search of gold nuggets near mud-brick houses at the Kharwalu area of Naray district, Kunar province. [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]
Afghan villagers turn to gold panning to sustain livelihoods
Afghan men carry sacks of excavated mountainside stones before emptying them onto a sieve in search of gold nuggets. [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]
Afghan villagers turn to gold panning to sustain livelihoods
Men pour water over a sieve as they sift through mountainside stones. [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]
Afghan villagers turn to gold panning to sustain livelihoods
Men dig a mountainside and sieve stones in search of gold nuggets along the Kunar riverbed. [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]
AFGHANISTAN-ECONOMY-LABOUR-GOLD
A man digs a mountainside along the Kunar riverbed before sieving stones in search of gold nuggets in the Song area of Ghaziabad district, Kunar province. [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]
Afghan villagers turn to gold panning to sustain livelihoods
Najibullah Hanif, the province's information chief, says locals learned panning techniques from miners arriving from gold-rich provinces. [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]
Afghan villagers turn to gold panning to sustain livelihoods
"Some started to dig with machines, an excavator; some locals came and asked the Islamic Emirate (of Afghanistan) to stop them because it destroys the river and the mountains," said Hanif. [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]
Afghan villagers turn to gold panning to sustain livelihoods
Hanif estimates that thousands in Kunar now pan for gold using traditional methods sanctioned by authorities. [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]
Afghan villagers turn to gold panning to sustain livelihoods
Afghanistan's mineral wealth has increasingly attracted both domestic and international investors, with Taliban authorities actively promoting mining operations throughout the country. [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]
Afghan villagers turn to gold panning to sustain livelihoods
Afghan men use traditional gold-panning methods to sort gold nuggets extracted from mountainside stones along the Kunar riverbed. [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]
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Crowd of children sits under a tree and listens to a teacher.
Sudanese teachers who fled to Goudrane refugee camp have set up a school under the trees, offering children education and a break from often deeply traumatic memories. The schools that do exist in the camp run double shifts but still hold 100 to 200 pupils per classroom. Across Sudan, Chad and South Sudan, only 45 percent of displaced children have regular access to education; in Chad, family separation nearly doubles the risk of child labour. Goudrane refugee camp, eastern Chad [Enayatullah Azad/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
Sudanese families embark on arduous journeys across the Sudanese border into eastern Chad, travelling on foot for two weeks or more. They navigate checkpoints and traverse open terrain, with adults carrying children on their backs and bringing minimal possessions. Chad has become the primary host country in the region for Sudanese refugees, sheltering more than 1.3 million people (UNHCR, April 2026). Women and children comprise more than 90 percent of those who have arrived since April 2023. Wadi Fira, eastern Chad. [Enayatullah Azad/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
Every day, trucks arrive at the transit centre in Renk, Upper Nile State, the primary entry point for most refugees crossing from Sudan into South Sudan. Since April 2023, more than one million people have sought refuge in South Sudan, fleeing the ongoing conflict in Sudan (UNHCR). The Renk transit centre, originally designed to accommodate just 4,000 individuals, reached a peak occupancy of more than 23,000 people. Renk transit centre, South Sudan. [Richard Ashton/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
Amona's 25-day journey from Khartoum to West Darfur came after a harrowing escape. "We fled our homes with nothing," she says. "Our houses were locked behind us, full of our belongings. We fled the shelling and gunfire, with bombs falling directly on our homes. One of them hit our neighbour's house while they were inside, and no one made it out alive." Now in West Darfur, Sudan, she must walk an hour each way to collect water in small jerrycans that provide just enough for basic cooking and drinking needs. Touloum refugee camp, eastern Chad. [Ahmed Ahmed/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
Kuich, 45, originally from Malakal, was forced to flee Sudan with his five children after losing his wife in crossfire. Among the hundreds of thousands crossing into South Sudan, many are returnees - people coming back to a country they had previously fled, often landless and with family members lost or separated during their journey. For many, the transit centre in Renk has transformed from a temporary stop into a permanent home. Renk transit centre, South Sudan. [Richard Ashton/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
Zaynab Ibrahim Hamed, formerly an Arabic teacher in Sudan, now resides alone in a modest shelter at Touloum refugee camp. The war killed her father and led to her brothers' disappearance. Her remaining family members are scattered - some in Chad, some in Sudan, while the whereabouts of others remain unknown. "Life in Sudan was good," she says. "We had a house, a car, jobs. But then the war came and life became a battle to survive." In eastern Chad's Touloum refugee camp, ninety percent of households headed by women have no source of income. Touloum refugee camp, eastern Chad. [Enayatullah Azad/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
Muktar Ahmed, forced from his home in el-Fasher, now finds refuge near the Chad-Sudan border, witnessing his children's education slip away. "My children were going to school in Sudan, but it was destroyed," he explains. "It is difficult to learn on an empty stomach." Throughout Sudan, Chad and South Sudan, merely 45 percent of displaced children receive consistent educational opportunities, while almost one in five has been completely cut off from learning. Chad-Sudan border area. [Enayatullah Azad/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
Nafisa Taha Mohammed, 45, reached Thobo camp on January 27, 2026, having fled Kadugli on foot two days earlier with her husband and their 12-year-old son. The family was forced to sell their clothing to buy food during their initial days at the camp. "We need everything here and we're barely getting anything," she says. Located in Sudan's Nuba Mountains region of South Kordofan, Thobo camp has become a refuge for families displaced by renewed military conflict in Kadugli that erupted in late 2025. Thobo camp, South Kordofan, Sudan. [Karl Schembri/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
Awatif Bahar Mohamed escaped el-Fasher following the murder of her husband and eldest son. On her journey to Chad, armed groups stripped her of all possessions. She reached Goudrane camp with just a single blanket to share among four people. Her surviving son had managed to earn modest income by assisting newcomers with shelter construction, but this work has since disappeared. "We are hungry," she explains, "but we are patient with the hunger. What is good is that there are no bombardments." Goudrane camp, eastern Chad. [Enayatullah Azad/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
An elderly man departs from the distribution point at Umdulu camp, South Kordofan, carrying his food ration: White beans, sorghum, and salt. Since fighting intensified in late 2025, the camp has primarily received families escaping from Kadugli. Across the region, almost 75 percent of displaced households lack any form of income. Food distributions have become the sole barrier protecting many families from starvation. Umdulu Camp, South Kordofan, Sudan. [Karl Schembri/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
Amina fled Khartoum with her four children after her husband vanished during the conflict's initial days. For two weeks, she journeyed on foot, concealing herself at checkpoints and traveling under cover of darkness until reaching the Nuba Mountains - a region already struggling to accommodate countless displaced families. By observing others, she constructed a shelter and sacrificed her own food portions to feed her children. When a modest cash transfer finally arrived months later, she invested in sorghum seeds for planting and several chickens. South Kordofan, Sudan. [Mathilde Vu/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
Local responders, with NRC's support, provide porridge to children and sorghum with beans to adults at Thobo camp's reception area. Throughout Sudan and Chad, approximately one in three aid recipients continue to share their limited resources with others - whether neighbours, strangers, or anyone arriving with less (NRC survey, April 2026). For three years, this grassroots solidarity has served as the unseen foundation of humanitarian response. Thobo Camp, South Kordofan, Sudan. [Karl Schembri/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
Children gather at a water point in Goz al-Salam camp. The humanitarian crisis in Sudan has reached critical levels, with more than 80 percent of displaced families now skipping meals to survive. Alarmingly, 18 percent of households have been forced to send their children to work. Across the border in Chad, one in four women lacks access to any toilet or latrine facilities, subjecting them to harassment and violence during their extended journeys to find water. The trauma and hardships these children are experiencing will leave lasting impacts that will continue long after this conflict ends. Goz al-Salam camp, Kosti, White Nile State, Sudan. [Ahmed Elsir/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
Om Bakheeta Siddiq welcomed displaced families into her home in Um Hani village for three years, providing them with beds, mattresses, food, and water until roads reopened and they could finally return home. "When I see someone struggling, I give without expecting anything in return," she says. "When these people came to us, they were already like family." After enduring four displacements, nearly two-thirds of people report being completely exhausted with no resources remaining. Um Hani village, Sudan. [Elias Abu Ata/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
Thuraya Hamad al-Nil fled Khartoum to find refuge in Fangooga, where the local community embraced her, providing shelter and crucial support during her most difficult months. She participated in agricultural activities, acquiring new skills she intends to apply upon returning home. The community fostered inclusion by organizing shared iftars during Ramadan. "These moments helped me feel included and reduced the sense of displacement," she says. Though the local community has been generous, external aid remains minimal in Fangooga, Sudan. [Elias Abu Ata/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
In Tawila, North Darfur, displaced residents with barely any resources are preparing meals for those in even more desperate circumstances. Camp committees composed of locals are carefully managing the limited water supplies available. No official infrastructure maintains this system - only individuals who have chosen not to turn a blind eye to others' suffering. According to NRC's survey, approximately one-third of aid recipients across Sudan and Chad continue sharing their provisions with others, despite their own dwindling supplies. Tawila, North Darfur, Sudan. [Marwan Mohammed/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
Abulay Jerema Osman oversees a well situated at a 20-minute walk from Goudrane refugee camp, serving both livestock and displaced persons. "Many refugees are coming from the camp to this well. Here they can take the water freely. We are happy the refugees can get safety here in Chad. They are our guests." However, he speaks candidly about the constraints: "The international community needs to help Chad support the refugees. The situation for the refugees here is very tough." Outside Goudrane refugee camp, eastern Chad. [Enayatullah Azad/NRC]
Sudan families endure years of displacement, hunger, and unimaginable loss
A man passes a makeshift stall offering toothbrushes, a tin of juice, and small food packets at Renk transit centre. With virtually no formal employment available, many displaced individuals in Renk must resort to selling whatever items they can to survive. South Sudan has absorbed more than one million people fleeing Sudan's war (UNHCR), creating an overwhelming burden on a nation already struggling with its own severe humanitarian crisis. Nearly 75 percent of displaced households in the region have no source of income. Renk transit centre, South Sudan. [Richard Ashton/NRC]
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