Children real victims of wars, says world-famous lensman

‘I went to Yemen where I was stabbed. I went to Afghanistan where I lost my best friend. I went to Syria where my heart was broken,’ says Muhammed Muheisen

Muhammed Muheisen said he never forgets any of the children that he photographs and always goes back to them with any help he can offer.

On the concluding day of the fifth annual Xposure International Photography Festival (Xposure 2021) world-renowned photographer Muhammed Muheisen recalled his decades-long journey of covering conflict worldwide, sharing the stories behind some of his most iconic images with his audience, during a session titled ‘My Journey’.

The two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner and founder of the non-profit, Everyday Refugees, Muhammed displayed a powerful collection of his work, as he spoke about his experiences documenting the lives of refugees, especially children, who he said were the ‘real victims of the wars’ across Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.

“I never got to be a child in my childhood. My childhood was spent in a conflict zone, which shaped my view of the world, and played a vital role in nurturing my passion for storytelling,” he said.

“At the time I was covering the Iraq War, I was young, inexperienced and terrified. I thought I knew what being in a conflict zone meant but here it was different. That was a turning point in my career.”