Award of Excellence

Younes Mohammad

Middle East Images
Iraq
On the first day of Spring (Nawroz), unable to go out because of the quarantine order, a family passes the time relaxing on the rooftop as tea boils in the kettle. In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the government of Iraqi Kurdistan put in place quarantine orders beginning March 15, 2020. While steaming the tide of infections, the social and economic impacts of the quarantine play out in the daily lives of the Kurdish people in different ways.
Younes Mohammad is Born in 1968 in Dohuk, Iraq. He’s a Kurdish freelance photographer mostly active on assignments for newspapers, magazines, etc. He spent his life in Iran as a refugee from 1974 – 1998 and graduated with an MBA University of Tehran. Photography was his passion but he had no chance to follow it while the war situation was still continuing Under Saddam’s time. In 2011 he quits his job and starts his journey as a photographer. His work has been exhibited internationally and published widely in publications. He has received numerous awards. He is now a Middle East Images Photographer and based in Erbil, Iraq.

[ COVID-19 ] A single photograph, candid and un-staged, that reflects the news or human experience of the impact of COVID-19. The image must be documentary and may be related to news, sports, daily life or lifestyle. Each participant is allowed to enter up to 10 images. The images must be taken in 2019 or 2020.

Judges for COVID-19
Anshika Varma
Jiro Ose
Suejin Shin
Khalil Hamra
Rena Effendi