Aral Sea, Khodjely City, Uzbekistan
Francesco Zizola
(b.1962, Italy) has published four books: his most recent “Iraq”
published with Amnesty International (2007) documents the beginning of
Iraq II, a war which has become off limits for photographers. “Né
Quelque Part – Born Somewhere” (2004 ) was the result of 13 years
covering the situation of children around the world in 28 countries.
Francesco has received numerous international awards and prizes,
including the World Press Photo of The Year in 1996, documenting the
tragedy of land mines in Angola, eight World Press Photo awards and four
Pictures of the Year Awards. He is a founding member of the
photographic agency “NOOR” and currently lives in Rome.
About the Photograph:
“I made this photo in the courtyard of
the Republican Recovery School for children with serious malformations.
The rate of infant morbidity as well as the rates of maternal and child
mortality in this region are ten times higher than in Europe. Nearly 90%
of the adolescents are anemic, 30% have kidney disease, 23% have
thyroid deficiency and 20% have chronic hepatitis. One in three women
has had a stillborn child. More then 90% of pregnant women have severe
anemia and 30% of childbirths have complications due to hypertension
during their pregnancy. The Aral Sea was one of the largest lakes in the
world. But, in the 1950s, the Soviet Union decided to cultivate cotton
in the region. The lake is now a third of its original size.”
