Frankfurt am Main, April 23
EPA Images’ visual journalist Saber Nuraldin, professionally known as Mohammed Saber, has been named one of the two global finalists for the 2026 World Press Photo of the Year for his image “Aid Emergency in Gaza.”
Saber received the runner-up distinction for a powerful image depicting Palestinians climbing onto an aid truck near a food distribution point in Zikim, northern Gaza, in July 2025, which captures the severity of the humanitarian crisis and widespread food insecurity in the Palestinian strip.
“The Zikim point was one of the most difficult and dangerous places I have witnessed in my coverage, where hunger and danger were intertwined at every moment,” said Mohammed Saber.
“At that point, people came daily hoping to get a bag of flour,” he recalled. “Some returned with some food, some returned empty-handed, and others returned injured or never returned at all due to stampedes or gunfire.”
The awarded photo “shows people jostling to get their share of flour to feed their families,” Saber added. “The moments were incredibly harsh; hunger gripped everyone, and we were all exhausted and physically weak.”
Saber dedicated his award to his children and his colleagues at EPA Images, “and to every individual, every child, every woman who lived through this difficult period, and to everyone who fought for survival.”
“We take immense pride in the global recognition of Saber’s exceptional work,” said Julia R.Arévalo, President & CEO of EPA Images. “His consistent work in Gaza since October 2023 has been instrumental in shaping the global understanding of the conflict. We celebrate his achievement and his tireless dedication to high-impact visual journalism in the face of immense adversity.”
“It is great news to see that Saber’s work is being recognized on the world stage amid such great hardship,” said Tomas Stargardter, EPA Images’ Editor in Chief. “Saber’s work ethic amid such devastation is an inspiration to us all to continue to exert ourselves as photojournalists.
”Saber’s photograph had previously been recognized in the Singles category for the West, Central, and South Asia region of the World Press Photo contest.
In that same regional Singles category, EPA Images’ visual journalist Narendra Shrestha won first prize for his image “Nepal’s Gen Z Uprising,” capturing the dramatic moment when protesters stormed and set fire to the Singha Durbar government complex in Kathmandu in September 2025.
European Pressphoto Agency B.V. (rebranded as EPA Images) was established in November 1984 through an agreement among seven European news agencies. The founders’ vision was driven by the demand for an independent, high-quality picture service originally designed for the European media market. In early 2003, EPA Images made its service available worldwide, marking the beginning of its global operations. In 2014, EPA Images launched its global video service. Today’s EPA Images’ photo and video services are based on a broad network of visual journalists worldwide, as well as on the daily production of its eight member agencies: ANA-MPA, ANP, ANSA, EFE, KEYSTONE-SDA, LUSA, MIT, and PAP, all of which are market leaders in their respective countries.
