ICRC Humanitarian Visa d’or Award: Saher Alghorra honoured for his photojournalism on civilians in Gaza

Titled We Have No Escape, Alghorra’s photo series captures the everyday reality of life for a population trapped by a conflict of unprecedented violence since October 2023. Over the course of more than 17 months, he documented scenes of survival, loss and resilience – often at close proximity to families enduring the unthinkable.

“Receiving the ICRC’s Humanitarian Visa d’or means that what we are living through is not being ignored. It reflects the ongoing commitment of the ICRC and the Visa pour l’Image festival to shed light on this humanitarian disgrace. I’m deeply grateful for this support,” said Saher Alghorra upon being named the 2024 laureate.

Pierre Haski, President of Reporters Without Borders and jury member, described Alghorra’s photos as “gut punches – powerful and tragic at once.” He emphasized the symbolic importance of this recognition for work produced in a territory now closed to foreign journalists:

“Through this photographer, we pay tribute to all those in Gaza who risk their lives to show the world what is happening. Let’s not forget that dozens and dozens of Palestinian journalists and photographers have been killed over the past 20 months.”

Now in its 15th year, the ICRC’s Humanitarian Visa d’or award drew an exceptionally diverse and high-quality range of submissions. Haiti, Syria, Ukraine, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were among the conflict zones highlighted – all places where civilians continue to bear the brunt of armed violence. The jury, composed of professionals from the fields of photography, media and humanitarian action, praised the depth and richness of the stories submitted, making the final selection especially difficult.

Among this wide range of perspectives, Saher Alghorra’s work stood out for its narrative strength, visual sensitivity, and field-based commitment.

Philippe Da Costa, President of the French Red Cross, said the winning report stood out for its "exceptional photographic quality and scope", praising its “first-rate visual richness.” He particularly valued the way the photographer humanizes his subjects:

“He brings us back to a fundamental truth of humanitarian action – to bear witness to the trauma this war inflicts on individual human beings.”

“The hardest thing in photography is getting close to your subject. Here, he succeeds with incredible precision,” said Benoît Baume, co-founder and President of Fisheye photography magazine. “He captures scenes of extreme pain, yet you almost forget he is there. His work creates a visually cohesive world – mixing intimate, emotionally charged frames with broader, almost landscape-like scenes that shed striking light on the situation, like that haunting photo by the sea which so powerfully conveys the feeling of entrapment.”

Saher Alghorra will formally receive the ICRC’s Humanitarian Visa d’or – which includes a prize of €8,000 – on 3 September 2025 in Perpignan, during the Visa pour l’Image festival. His photo report will be exhibited throughout the festival, and later shown in Paris from 27 November 2025 to 31 January 2026 at the Fait & Cause gallery.