A dramatic photo of an assassin standing over the body of Russia's ambassador to Turkey has won the 2017 World Press Photo of the Year contest. Burhan Ozbilici's picture, which also won first prize in the Spot News Stories category, shows Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş, a 22-year-old off-duty police officer, immediately after he had shot Andrey Karlov at an art exhibition in Ankara on 19 December 2016. Ozbilici is a staff photographer for The Associated Press, based in Istanbul.
Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş shouts after shooting Andrey Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, at an art gallery in Ankara, Turkey.Burhan Ozbilici, The Associated Press
Mary F Calvert, member of the jury, said it was a very difficult decision, "But in the end we felt that the picture of the Year was an explosive image that really spoke to the hatred of our times. Every time it came on the screen you almost had to move back because it's such an explosive image and we really felt that it epitomises the definition of what the World Press Photo of the Year is and means."
Jury member João Silva added: "Right now I see the world marching towards the edge of an abyss. This is a man who has clearly reached a breaking point and his statement is to assassinate someone who he really blames, a country that he blames, for what is going on elsewhere in the region. I feel that what is happening in Europe, what is happening in America, what is happening in the Far East, Middle East, Syria, and this image to me talks of it. It is the face of hatred."
The 2017 contest drew entries from around the world: 5,034 photographers from 125 countries submitted 80,408 images. The jury gave prizes in eight categories to 45 photographers from 25 countries. IBTimes UK presents a selection of the winners – to see more, visit the World Press Photo site.
Contemporary Issues – First Prize, Singles: Jonathan Bachman, Thomson Reuters – Taking A Stand In Baton Rouge
Lone activist Ieshia Evans stands her ground while offering her hands for arrest as she is charged by riot police during a protest against police brutality outside the Baton Rouge Police Department in Louisiana, USA, on 9 July 2016. Evans, a 28-year-old Pennsylvania nurse and mother of one, travelled to Baton Rouge to protest against the shooting of Alton Sterling. Sterling was a 37-year-old black man and father of five, who was shot at close range by two white police officers. The shooting, captured on a multitude of cell phone videos, aggravated the unrest coursing through the United States in previous years over the use of excessive force by police, particularly against black men.Jonathan Bachman, Thomson Reuters
Contemporary Issues – Second Prize, Singles: Vadim Ghirda, The Associated Press – Migrant Crossing
A woman is supported by two men while crossing a river, as refugees attempt to reach Macedonia on a route that would bypass the border fence, on 14 March 2016. Hundreds of refugees walked out of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border on this day, shortly after the closure of Macedonia's borders, determined to head north despite the dangers of the crossing.Vadim Ghirda, The Associated Press
Contemporary Issues - Third Prize, Singles: Daniel Etter – The Libyan Migrant Trap
Two Nigerian refugees cry and embrace in a detention centre for refugees in Surman, Libya, on 17 August 2016. Many claim they are regularly beaten or sexually assaulted, and receive insufficient amounts of food and water at the centre. Most of these women were attempting to reach Europe by being smuggled across the Mediterranean in boats setting sail from neighbouring Sabratah. Daniel Etter
Contemporary Issues - First Prize, Stories: Amber Bracken – Standing Rock
In camp, everyday tasks like cooking and chopping wood are the front line. Here, men unload a massive donation of firewood.Amber BrackenJesse Jaso, 12, enters the Unity Teepee, at the Sacred Stone Camp. The teepee is signed by camp supporters from all over North America and around the world. Oceti Sakowin, or the Seven Council Fires, is the true name of the great Sioux nation and refers to the coming together of the different factions of the tribe. Oglala, Cheyenne, Ut, Cree, Hopi and non-indigenous all are among the 200 tribes represented in the camps and on the front lines. The last time there was a similar gathering was before the Battle of the Little Bighorn, 1876.Amber Bracken
Contemporary Issues - Second Prize, Stories: Lalo de Almeida, for Folha de São Paulo – Victims Of The Zika Virus
Adriana Cordeiro Soares, 30, bathes her son João Miguel, 3 months old, who was born with microcephaly caused by the Zika virus, in her house in the rural area of São Vicente do Seridó.Lalo de Almeida, for Folha de São PauloMarcela (2) observes her sisters in her mother's lap at the family's home in the rural area of Areia. Twin sisters Heloisa (left) and Heloá (right) were born seven months prior with microcephaly caused by the Zika virus.Lalo de Almeida, for Folha de São Paulo
Contemporary Issues - Third Prize, Stories: Peter Bauza – Copacabana Palace
Edilane and three of her seven children (at the time the photo was taken) rest on a mattress on the floor. She will soon give birth to a son. Despite all her problems and struggles on how to feed her kids, she is still positive about her life. Recently she was able to build up a very small and basic Internet store inside the buildings. Out of approximately 10 old computers, she can make one for the store. This represents some $5 daily.Peter BauzaDomingo, from Angola, came several years ago to Brazil in search for a better life.Peter Bauza
Daily Life - First Prize, Singles: Paula Bronstein, for Time Lightbox / Pulitzer Center For Crisis Reporting – The Silent Victims Of A Forgotten War
At the hospital, Najiba holds her two-year-old nephew Shabir who was injured by a bomb blast in Kabul on 29 March 2016.Paula Bronstein, for Time Lightbox / Pulitzer Center For Crisis Reporting
Daily Life - Second Prize, Singles: Tiejun Wang – Sweat Makes Champions
Four students of a gymnastics school in Xuzhou, China, do toe-pressure training for 30 minutes in the afternoon.Tiejun Wang
Daily Life - Third Prize, Singles: Matthieu Paley, for National Geographic Magazine – China's Wild West
An Uyghur woman carries money in her stockings, a common practice. Uyghur women, while Muslim, typically do not adhere to the conservative dress code that women in neighbouring countries follow. ost of the passengers are Uygur, a Chinese minority who live mostly in the west. One of the longest train journeys in the world—2,910 miles (4,683 kilometers)—runs across China from Hong Kong to Urumqi, made up of 18 wagons, traveling over 160 kilometres per hour, and taking over five hours to complete its journey. China is transformed with every mile, from verdant jungle and arid steppe to the Taklamakan desert, the second largest shifting-sand desert in the world in the Southern branch of the Silk Road, China. Matthieu Paley, for National Geographic Magazine
Daily Life - First Prize, Stories: Tomas Munita, for The New York Times – Cuba On The Edge Of Change
A weathered barber shop in Old Havana, Cuba.Tomas Munita, for The New York TimesTrucks carried students home after the carriage carrying Fidel's ashes passed in Las Tunas Province, Cuba. Cuba declared nine days of mourning after Fidel Castro’s death, a period that culminated with his funeral.Tomas Munita, for The New York Times
Daily Life - Second Prize, Stories: Elena Anosova – Out Of The Way
In Russia’s extreme north, century-long ways of life dominate the daily life of some of the most isolated parts of the desolate landscape. Modern civilisation penetrates slowly and fragmentarily. There are no roads, and only one helicopter shuttle twice monthly. The residents’ ancestors can be traced back to hereditary hunters in a small settlement near Nizhnyaya Tunguska River, Russia, more than 300 years ago. Life has not changed for centuries in this remote area surrounded by pristine wilderness.Elena AnosovaA bear's skin is crucified on a house. It is the skin of the insomniac bear that came at night and ate the dogs, attacked people, and got into the house through the window. A married couple climbed the roof in panic and waited until the morning to neutralise the beast. They waited until morning because it is pitch-dark at night. There is only electricity in this settlement for 14 hours a day, in the morning and the evening. There is no central power supply service, only a small diesel-driven station.Elena Anosova
Daily Life - Third Prize, Stories: Francesco Comello – Isle Of Salvation
Blessing of the well water. The inhabitants of this secluded and silent community call it the "Isle of Salvation", hidden near a busy road that leads from Moscow to Yaroslavl, Russia. Founded in the early 1990s by an Orthodox priest, it is a unique spiritual, educational and cultural centre that currently accommodates 300 boys and girls, many seen as social outcasts. Francesco ComelloIn order to enter the priesthood in the Orthodox religion you must first become a monk or get married. Vladimir marries Vittoria, both a few years before they attended the community.Francesco Comello
General News - First Prize, Singles: Laurent Van der Stockt, Getty Reportage for Le Monde – Offensive On Mosul
The Iraqi Special Operations Forces search houses of Gogjali, an eastern district of Mosul, looking for Daesh members, equipment, and evidence on 2 November 2016.Laurent Van der Stockt, Getty Reportage for Le Monde
General News - Second Prize, Singles: Santi Palacios – Left Alone
An 11-year-old girl from Nigeria (left), who said her mother died in Libya, cries next to her 10-year-old brother aboard an NGO rescue boat, on 28 July 2016. The children had sailed for hours in an overcrowded rubber boat with other refugees during a rescue operation on the Mediterranean Sea, about 23 kilometres north of Sabratha, Libya. Libyan smugglers often take advantage of refugees, charging anywhere from $750 to $3500 for a place on typically dangerous boats they say are heading to Italy.Santi Palacios
General News - Third Prize, Singles: Noel Celis, Agence France-Presse – Life Inside The Philippines' Most Overcrowded Jail
A scene in Quezon City Jail, one of the Philippines' most overcrowded prisons. Conditions are getting worse as police wage an unprecedented war on crime. There are 3,800 inmates at the jail, which was built six decades ago to house 800, and they engage in a relentless contest for space. Men take turns to sleep on the cracked cement floor of an open-air basketball court, the steps of staircases, underneath beds and hammocks made out of old blankets.Noel Celis, Agence France-Presse
General News - First Prize, Stories: Daniel Berehulak, for The New York Times – They Are Slaughtering Us Like Animals
Six-year-old Jimji cries in anguish as she screams "Papa" before funeral parlour workers move the body of her father, Jimboy Bolasa, from the wake at the start of the funeral to Navotas Cemetery in Manila, Philippines. Unidentified men abducted Mr Bolasa and a local friend one night. Less than an hour later, their beaten bodies, with signs of torture and gunshot wounds, were dumped under a nearby bridge. The police claim the men were alleged drug dealers while their family members say they had only surrendered themselves.Daniel Berehulak, for The New York TimesHeavy rain pours as police operatives investigate inside an alley where a victim, Romeo Joel Torres Fontanilla (37) was killed by two unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles in the early morning in Manila, Philippines.Daniel Berehulak, for The New York Times
General News - Second Prize, Stories: Sergey Ponomarev, for The New York Times – Iraq's Battle To Reclaim Its Cities
A boy holds the body of his father, killed by the Islamic State, as he arrived at a field hospital on the outskirts of Mosul, Iraq.Sergey Ponomarev, for The New York TimesA tied, decomposed body is seen at the site of a mass grave that was discovered on the outskirts of Hamam al-Alil, Iraq. Iraqi security forces retaking territory from the Islamic State uncovered mass graves on a despairingly regular basis, the largest of which was in Hamam al-Alil, an old spa resort town. Many of the mass graves recently found contain the bodies of local men, most of whom were former members of the security forces who were executed only in recent weeks, after the campaign for Mosul began. The legacy of the mass grave in Iraq is long, stretching back further than the Islamic State to the times of Saddam Hussein’s industrial-scale killings. It is the horrible symbol of what has been for decades a gut-wrenching constant of Iraqi life: the disappearance of loved ones into the machinery of despotism.Sergey Ponomarev, for The New York Times
General News - Third Prize, Stories: Alessio Romenzi – We Are Not Taking Any Prisoners
Fighters of the Libyan forces affiliated to the Tripoli government walk around the gigantic chandelier of the conference room in Ouagadougou Congress Complex.Alessio RomenziA fighter of the Libyan forces affiliated to the Tripoli government carries a comrade who was seriously injured just seconds before by a booby trap placed by Islamic State fighters.Alessio Romenzi
Nature - First Prize, Singles: Francis Pérez – Caretta Caretta Trapped
A sea turtle entangled in a fishing net swims off the coast of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, on 8 June 2016. Sea turtles are considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Unattended fishing gear is responsible for many sea turtle deaths.Francis Pérez
Nature - Second Prize, Singles: Nayan Khanolkar – Big Cat In My Backyard!
A wild leopard strolls through Sanjay Gandhi National Park, a protected area in the northern part of Mumbai city, India, on 24 September 2016. The leopard is on its nocturnal prowl in the adjacent human settlements in search of food, which in these areas is typically dogs or pigs.Nayan Khanolkar
Nature - Third Prize, Singles: Jaime Rojo – Monarchs In The Snow
A carpet of monarch butterflies covers the forest floor of El Rosario Butterfly Sanctuary, in Michoacán, Mexico, on 12 March, after a strong snow storm hit from 8 to 9 March, 2016. The storm hit the mountains of Central Mexico, creating havoc in the wintering colonies of monarch butterflies just as they were starting their migration back north to the USA and Canada.Jaime Rojo
Nature - First Prize, Stories: Brent Stirton, Getty Images for National Geographic Magazine – Rhino Wars
A black rhino bull is seen dead, poached for its horns less than 8 hours earlier at Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve, South Africa. It is suspected that the killers came from a local community approximately five kilometres away, entering the park illegally, shooting the rhino at a water hole with a high-powered, silenced hunting rifle. An autopsy and postmortem carried out by members of the KZN Ezemvelo ranger team later revealed that the large caliber bullet went straight through this rhino, causing massive tissue damage. It was noted that he did not die immediately, but ran a short distance, fell to his knees and a coup de grâce shot was administered to the head from close range.Brent Stirton, Getty Images for National Geographic MagazineDorota Ladosz sleeps with Lulah, an injured rhino calf, at Care For Wild Africa. Lulah’s mother was killed in Kruger National Park and when the rangers found her she was estimated to be one month old. Hyenas had attacked the tiny calf and chewed off her ears and parts of her nose, as well as a big bite off of her rear right leg.
Nature - Second Prize, Stories: Ami Vitale, for National Geographic Magazine – Pandas Gone Wild
Ye Ye, a 16-year-old giant panda, lounges in a massive wild enclosure at a conservation centre in Wolong Nature Reserve. Her two-year-old cub, Hua Yan ("Pretty Girl") was released into the wild after two years of "panda training". Her name, whose characters represent Japan and China, celebrates the friendship between the two nations.Ami Vitale, for National Geographic MagazineIn a large forested enclosure of the Wolong Reserve, panda keepers Ma Li and Liu Xiaoqiang listen for radio signals from a collared panda training to be released to the wild. Tracking can tell them how the cub is faring in the rougher terrain up the mountain.Ami Vitale, for National Geographic Magazine
Nature - Third Prize, Stories: Bence Máté – Now You See Me
African elephant under the starry sky. These photos combine the starry sky and portraits of wild animals not visible to the naked eye. The series needed very accurate planning, research and preparation as the photos were made with remote control, and no modification was possible while capturing the photos. Bence MátéBuffalos at the drinking station.Bence Máté
People - First Prize, Singles: Magnus Wennman, Aftonbladet – What Isis Left Behind
Five-year-old Maha and her family fled from the village Hawija outside Mosul, Iraq. The fear of so-called Islamic State and the lack of food forced them to leave their home, her mother said. Here, Maha lies on a dirty mattress in the overcrowded transit centre in Debaga refugee camp. “I do not dream and I'm not afraid of anything anymore,” Maha said quietly while her mother's hand stroked her hair.Magnus Wennman, Aftonbladet
People - Second Prize, Singles: Robin Hammond, NOOR Images for Witness Change – Mental health problems in disabling environments in Africa
Hellen (41) lives with a mental health problem. Her illness developed later in life. In developing countries, over 80 percent of people living with mental health problems do not receive any treatment. In African countries, treatment often comes in the form of prayer from a pastor or traditional healer. Modern medicine is available to very few. A mental health problem often means relegation to the margins of society; life in mental health facilities often doing more harm than good, and coming attached with crippling social stigma. Cultural beliefs and associations that link mental disorders to witchcraft are deeply rooted in some communities.Robin Hammond, NOOR Images for Witness Change
People - Third Prize, Singles: Kristina Kormilitsyna, Kommersant Newspaper – Fidelity
A woman strokes a girl’s head as she rests on her lap whilst sitting on a sofa in a police station in Camaguey, Cuba, on 12 February 2016, with a portrait of Fidel Castro hanging above them.Kristina Kormilitsyna, Kommersant Newspaper
People - First Prize, Stories: Michael Vince Kim – Aenikkaeng
Sisters Olga and Adelina Lim Hi, one of the few Korean descendants who do not have mixed heritage.Their grandfather was Im Cheon Taek, one of the leading figures of the earliest Korean community in Cuba. In 1905, more than 1,000 Koreans traveled to Mexico under the false promise of prosperity in a paradisiac land. Instead, they were sold off as indentured slaves to harvest agave that was then known as "the green gold" of Mexico. Michael Vince KimA Korean-Mayan's traditional Korean dress. While the descendants of Koreans have not retained their ancestors' language, the youngest generations are eager to learn Korean as a second language while also practicing their traditions.Michael Vince Kim
People - Second Prize, Stories: Antonio Gibotta, Agenzia Controluce – Enfarinat
On 28 December each year, a “Flour War" takes place in Ibi in the province of Alicante, Spain. During the festival, the citizens are divided into two groups: the 'Enfarinat' (the floured) group simulates a coup d'etat and a second group tries to calm the rebellion. The teams play with flour, water, eggs and coloured smoke bombs. The 200-year-old tradition is known as “Els Enfarinats”, marking the biblical Massacre of the Innocents by King Herod.Antonio Gibotta, Agenzia ControluceResidents of Ibi stage a flour war during an annual celebration known as Els EnfarinatsAntonio Gibotta, Agenzia Controluce
People - Third Prize, Stories: Jay Clendenin, Los Angeles Times – Olympians
Christen Press, a forward with the Women's National Team, was due to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics and was photographed at Chadwick School, where she is an alumni, in Palos Verdes, California.Jay Clendenin, Los Angeles TimesFolau Niua, Danny Berret, Martin Iosefo, and Garrett Bender were due to be part of the men's sevens US rugby team at the 2016 Rio Olympics and were photographed at the Olympic Training Centre in Chula Vista, California.Jay Clendenin, Los Angeles Times
Sports - First Prize, Singles: Tom Jenkins, The Guardian – Grand National Steeplechase
Jockey Nina Carberry flies off her horse, Sir Des Champs, as they fall at The Chair fence during the Grand National steeplechase, during day three of the Grand National Meeting at Aintree Racecourse on 9 April 2016 in Liverpool.Tom Jenkins, The Guardian
Sports - Second Prize, Singles: Cameron Spencer, Getty Images – The Dive
Gaël Monfils of France dives for a forehand in his fourth round match against Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia, during the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park, Australia, on 25 January 2016.Cameron Spencer, Getty Images
Sports - Third Prize, Singles: Kai Oliver Pfaffenbach, Thomson Reuters – Rio's Golden Smile
Usain Bolt of Jamaica smiles as he looks back at his competition, whilst winning the 100-metre semi-final sprint, at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Bolt is regarded as the fastest human ever timed. He is the first person to hold both the 100-metre and 200-metre world records since fully automatic time became mandatory.Kai Oliver Pfaffenbach, Thomson Reuters
Sports - First Prize, Stories: Giovanni Capriotti – Boys Will be Boys
Muddy York Rugby Football Club's player Michael Smith carries the ball against the Nashville Grizzlies during the semifinal of the Hoagland Shield on Saturday May 29, 2016, at the Ted Rhodes Park, in Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville beat Toronto 15-0. The Muddy's boys finished the tournament with two wins and two losses, marking an historical edition of the Bingham cup. The team's next goal is to gain the first win ever against a “straight” side. Gay athletes have somehow nearly always encountered resistance, controversy, discrimination, and often humiliation from the sports community. Stereotypes have typically, and falsely, defined the performance of the athletes as well as their suitability to a specific discipline. Discomfort in the locker room pushed a few of Toronto's gay rugby players to form the city’s first gay-friendly rugby team. Established in 2003, Muddy York RFC primarily competes against “straight” teams in the Toronto Rugby Union. The Muddy York team unconsciously started the process of describing and deconstructing the idea of performance within masculinity.Giovanni CapriottiMuddy York Rugby Football Club players Michael Smith, left, Devin McCarney, centre, and Jean Paul Markides are photographed during a rehearsal for their performance at the annual team fundraiser drag show on Saturday, 5 November 2016, in Toronto, Ontario. Fundraisers, along with sponsorships, play a major role for the team's season budget. Each player pays an annual fee to the club that covers the uniforms, practice facilities and Rugby Ontario fees. Muddy York helps players who can't afford the payment, with an exemption.Giovanni Capriotti
Sports - Second Prize, Stories: Michael Hanke – Youth Chess Tournaments
A chess player expresses his emotions during a game. This series focuses especially on 'youth' chess tournaments held across several cities in the Czech Republic in 2016. The youth tournaments aim to motivate young people, replacing electronic devices with real-world interpersonal communication and entertainment.Michael HankeA chess player concentrates just a few moments before the start of the next round of a tournament.Michael Hanke
Sports - Third Prize, Stories: Darren Calabrese – Adaptive Athlete
Lindsay Hilton, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, can lift 100 pounds. Lindsay was born without arms and legs. She throws all of the weight around with the help of chains from a local hardware store, straps, and Velcro. Aside from weight lifting, Lindsay holds a passion for swimming, soccer, hockey and especially rugby. When asked what motivates her and whether or not she feels accomplished, Lindsay replies, “I don't feel like I've actually done anything because I don't want to be 'good for someone without arms and legs', I want to be good.”Darren CalabreseWith the sink piled high with dishes, Lindsay stands on a step stool while making coffee for her and her boyfriend early in the morning in their home.Darren Calabrese
Spot News - First Prize, Singles: Jamal Taraqai, European Pressphoto Agency – Pakistan Bomb Blast
Lawyers help their injured colleagues after a bomb explosion in Quetta, Pakistan, on 8 August 2016. Seventy people were killed when a bomb exploded outside a civil hospital where a crowd of lawyers and journalists had gathered to mourn Bilal Anwar Kasi, a senior lawyer who had been assassinated hours earlier.Jamal Taraqai, European Pressphoto Agency
Spot News - Second Prize, Singles: Abd Doumany, Agence France-Presse – Medics Assist a Wounded Girl
A Syrian girl cries out as a wounded child lies next to her at a makeshift hospital on 12 September 2016. She had been injured in reported government airstrikes on the rebel-held town of Douma, east of Damascus, Syria.Abd Doumany, Agence France-Presse
Spot News - Third Prize, Singles: Felipe Dana, The Associated Press – Battle For Mosul
A car bomb explodes next to Iraqi special forces armoured vehicles as they advance towards Islamic State-held territory in Mosul, Iraq, on 16 November 2016Felipe Dana, The Associated Press
Spot News - First Prize, Stories: Burhan Ozbilici, The Associated Press – An Assassination in Turkey
Andrey Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, speaks at an art gallery before being shot by Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş, seen behind him, in Ankara, Turkey.Burhan Ozbilici, The Associated PressMevlüt Mert Altıntaş shouts after shooting Andrey Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, at an art gallery in Ankara, Turkey.Burhan Ozbilici, The Associated PressGallery goers cower after Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş shot Andrey Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, at an art gallery in Ankara, Turkey.Burhan Ozbilici, The Associated Press
Spot News - Second Prize, Stories: Ameer Alhalbi, Agence France-Presse – Rescued From the Rubble
Syrian men carrying babies make their way through the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported airstrike on the rebel-held Salihin neighborhood of Aleppo on 11 September 2016. Airstrikes have killed dozens in rebel-held parts of Syria as the opposition considers whether to join a US-Russia truce deal due to take effect on 12 September.Ameer Alhalbi, Agence France-PresseSyrian civil defence volunteers, known as the White Helmets, rescue a boy from the rubble following a reported barrel bomb attack on the Bab al-Nairab neighborhood of Aleppo on 24 November 2016Ameer Alhalbi, Agence France-Presse
Two men panic and struggle in the water during their rescue. Their rubber boat was in distress and deflating quickly on one side, tipping many migrants in the water. They were quickly reached by rescue swimmers and brought to safety. The central Mediterranean migration route, between the coasts of Libya and Italy, remains busy. According to reports by the UNHCR, 5,000 people died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean in 2016. NGOs and charities such as Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) continue their efforts to patrol the patch of sea north of the Libyan coast, in the hope of rescuing refugees before the potential of drowning. The rescue team on board the MOAS’ Responder are there to mitigate loss of life at sea. Operating like a sea-born ambulance, they rush to assist and rescue refugee vessels in distress, provide medical assistance, and bring the refugees safely to Italy.Mathieu WillcocksThe body of a migrant is found floating at sea. Red Cross medical staff onboard the Responder estimated he had been at sea for at least four days.Mathieu Willcocks
