First ICRC Humanitarian Visa d'or photojournalism award
22-06-2011 News Release
Paris (ICRC) – The very first Humanitarian Visa d'or, a photojournalism prize organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was awarded yesterday to Catalina Martin-Chico for her report entitled "The Yemeni Revolution." Ms Martin-Chico was the unanimous choice of the 10-member prize committee.
Jean-Christophe Rufin, the committee chairman, explained: "Over and beyond its aesthetic qualities and emotional force, the work of Catalina Martin-Choco depicts, as required by the prize regulations, human suffering and the professionalism and courage of emergency personnel."
Ms Martin-Chico, a graduate of the International Center of Photography in New York, has focused her work on Yemen since 2009.
The award will be officially presented in the southern French town of Perpignan on 1 September at the 23rd Visa pour l'image photojournalism festival. The work of the prizewinner will be on display throughout the festival.
The prize of 8,000 euros, made available by the Sanofi Espoir Foundation, which supports activities designed to provide continuity of care for injured or displaced people, is awarded for photojournalism that:
conveys how difficult it can be for medical personnel to reach victims of armed conflict and other violence, and, more generally, covers medical services working in wartime;
highlights so-called forgotten conflicts receiving little or no media coverage;
illustrates the principle of humanity – a fundamental principle of humanitarian work and of international humanitarian law – according to which persons not, or no longer, taking part in hostilities must receive protection and assistance in all circumstances.
Members of the prize committee are from five media organizations (the New York Times, Paris Match, Le Figaro magazine, Géo, and La Croix), the Sanofi Espoir Foundation and the ICRC.
For further information, please contact:
Frédéric Joli, ICRC Paris, tel: +33 1 56 54 11 11 or +33 6 20 49 46 30
