Famine in Somalia
Photographer: James Nachtwey
Date: 1992
Location: Somalia
James Nachtwey documented the devastating famine in Somalia in 1992, caused by a combination of civil war, drought, and the collapse of the Somali state following the fall of President Siad Barre in 1991. His photographs, published in Time magazine and distributed globally, depicted skeletal famine victims in a visceral and unflinching manner that helped galvanize international humanitarian response, contributing to the U.S. military intervention Operation Restore Hope launched in December 1992. The famine killed an estimated 300,000 Somalis. Nachtwey, widely considered one of the greatest war and documentary photographers of the 20th century, has received nine World Press Photo awards, four Robert Capa Gold Medals, and the TED Prize in 2007. His 2001 self-portrait film 'War Photographer' was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
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