News release

Brazil: Darién crossing report wins ICRC International Humanitarian Coverage Award

Mayara Paixão and Lalo de Almeida of Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo have won first prize at the sixth ICRC International Humanitarian Coverage Award for their report Darién, a selva da morte (Darién, forest of death).
Foto oficial

The awards ceremony at the Reserva Cultural in São Paulo brought together journalists, humanitarian organizations, governmental partners, city organizations, academics, students and others to support the essential role that journalism plays in defending international humanitarian law. The awards recognize reports that address urgent humanitarian issues, highlighting stories that reveal the complexity and depth of migration crises in Latin America and around the world. The awards ceremony at the Reserva Cultural in São Paulo brought together journalists, humanitarian organizations, governmental partners, city organizations, academics, students and others to support the essential role that journalism plays in defending international humanitarian law. The awards recognize reports that address urgent humanitarian issues, highlighting stories that reveal the complexity and depth of migration crises in Latin America and around the world. The awards ceremony at the Reserva Cultural in São Paulo brought together journalists, humanitarian organizations, governmental partners, city organizations, academics, students and others to support the essential role that journalism plays in defending international humanitarian law. The awards recognize reports that address urgent humanitarian issues, highlighting stories that reveal the complexity and depth of migration crises in Latin America and around the world. The awards ceremony at the Reserva Cultural in São Paulo brought together journalists, humanitarian organizations, governmental partners, city organizations, academics, students and others to support the essential role that journalism plays in defending international humanitarian law. The awards recognize reports that address urgent humanitarian issues, highlighting stories that reveal the complexity and depth of migration crises in Latin America and around the world. The awards ceremony at the Reserva Cultural in São Paulo brought together journalists, humanitarian organizations, governmental partners, city organizations, academics, students and others to support the essential role that journalism plays in defending international humanitarian law. The awards recognize reports that address urgent humanitarian issues, highlighting stories that reveal the complexity and depth of migration crises in Latin America and around the world. 

Journalist Mayara Paixão welcomed the results: “The prize was a pleasant surprise. Apart from the recognition, it’s an opportunity to bring together people who understand the importance of humanitarian coverage and its challenges, with a shared purpose.” As a photojournalist, Lalo de Almeido finds working on this kind of report frustrating: “Because the story is huge, the drama of the people is immense, and photos can only show a tiny part of this. And that’s why the prize is so relevant. In addition to conferring recognition, it brings the story to the attention of a wider audience and gives it a longer life.” 

Certificado
E. Andrade/ICRC

Alexandre Formisano and Sandra Lefcovich presented first prize to the team from the Folha de São Paulo

Second place went to 

The second place went to Resgates no Mediterrâneo (Mediterranean rescue). This was a film report by TV programme Profissão Repórter (Profession: reporter), broadcast on 30 July 2024. They had accompanied Médecins Sans Frontières as they rescued refugees in the Mediterranean, scene of one of the world’s most dangerous migratory routes. The team was led by Caco Barcelos and included Nathalia Tavolieri, Márcia Pereira Gonçalves and a number of other journalists. The programme moved the audience as it portrayed what happens to thousands of people on the high seas, and the solidarity shown by humanitarian workers. “I saw so much desperation,” says Nathalia Tavolieri. “I’d never seen anything like this so close up. I was there to do my job, but it was a unique situation. A very special experience.”

Certificado
E. Andrade/ICRC

Miguel Pachioni and Cilene Victor with the team that won second prize.

Third place went to Refugiados no Brasil (Refugees in Brazil) by Ítalo Di Lucena, Daniella Carlini and Edson Gabriel (TV Globo – Jornal Hoje), who reported on the situation faced by the more than 400,000 people who have requested refugee status in Brazil since 2011. Ítalo Di Lucena sees the award as an incentive to produce good journalism. “This kind of report is very labour-intensive. Once our report was finished, we spent a couple of months developing the story and putting together all the data and recordings in São Paulo, Brasilia and João Pessoa.” 

Refugiados no Brasil
E. Andrade/ICRC

Paulo Braga and Eduardo Davis presented the award for third place.

The sixth ICRC International Humanitarian Coverage Award received 42 submissions from print media, TV, radio and multimedia sources. The awards ceremony was hosted by journalist and professor Aldo Quiroga.

Recognizing excellence in journalism

The head of the ICRC’s regional delegation for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, Alexandre Formisano, underlined the role of journalism in raising the visibility of urgent issues. “This was the sixth ICRC International Humanitarian Coverage Award ceremony, and the event now has a firm place in the calendar of Brazilian press awards. We want to provide an incentive to produce humanitarian content aimed at Brazilian audiences and to encourage more journalists and photographers to cover humanitarian issues and follow related media developments.”

The head of the ICRC’s regional delegation for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, Alexandre Formisano, underlined the role of journalism in raising the visibility of urgent issues. “This was the sixth ICRC International Humanitarian Coverage Award ceremony, and the event now has a firm place in the calendar of Brazilian press awards. We want to provide an incentive to produce humanitarian content aimed at Brazilian audiences and to encourage more journalists and photographers to cover humanitarian issues and follow related media developments.”

The ceremony included a talk on the challenges facing journalism in crisis situations. The winners will strengthen the ICRC’s commitment to recognizing stories that inspire change and humanity. 

Alexandre Formisano
E. Andrade/ICRC

Alexandre Formisano speaks at the ceremony.

The jury for the 6th ICRC International Humanitarian Coverage Award

The jury for the ICRC International Humanitarian category consisted of Cilene Victor, professor at the Universidad Metodista de São Paulo and at FGV São Paulo Law School; Miguel Pacchioni, head of communication at UNHCR; Eduardo Davis, journalist and correspondent for agency EFE; Paulo Braga, media relations coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières and ICRC communication coordinator Sandra Lefcovich.

The jury for the ICRC International Humanitarian category consisted of Cilene Victor, professor at the Universidad Metodista de São Paulo and at FGV São Paulo Law School; Miguel Pacchioni, head of communication at UNHCR; Eduardo Davis, journalist and correspondent for agency EFE; Paulo Braga, media relations coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières and ICRC communication coordinator Sandra Lefcovich.

The winners of the ICRC International Humanitarian Coverage Award are chosen by a jury that includes other organizations, plus partners, journalists and academics, and their decisions do not necessarily reflect the official position of the ICRC.

Foto oficial
E. Andrade/ICRC

The jury for the 2024 ICRC International Humanitarian Coverage Award.

The winners of the 6th ICRC International Humanitarian Coverage Award.

Service:

Live broadcast of the Award ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/live/aeOztHuRGJc

For further information, please contact:

Fabíola Góis, ICRC Brasilia, +55 (61) 98248-7600, fgois@icrc.orgFabíola Góis, ICRC Brasilia, +55 (61) 98248-7600, fgois@icrc.orgFabíola Góis, ICRC Brasília, +55 (61) 98248-7600, fgois@icrc.org 

Fabíola Góis, ICRC Brasilia, +55 (61) 98248-7600, fgois@icrc.orgFabíola Góis, ICRC Brasilia, +55 (61) 98248-7600, fgois@icrc.orgFabíola Góis, ICRC Brasilia, +55 (61) 98248-7600, fgois@icrc.org