2024: The Year in Pictures

If we’re lucky, our childhood home is a safe place from which we dream of adventure, and set out for school with full bellies and carefree plans. For many of the children in these photographs, and the 117 million around the world displaced this year, home is fragile if it exists at all. For some it’s a mythical place their parents talk of, a place razed to the ground by war or changed by the climate crisis.

These photographs explore recovery and resilience. Loved-ones and strangers help each other out, pool knowledge and skills to rebuild stronger after a storm; to provide care in spite of their pain. And moments start to happen that make a place feel like home: An eight-year-old boy helps his mum with the chores. A trusted midwife comforts a mum-to-be. Two friends walk to school together laughing. A boy, scarred by violence, starts to dream of his future.

Moments like this can pass us by. But every childhood should be full of them and these photos reminds us why.

RWANDA

During the birth of her first child, Congolese refugee, Beata*, had complications and was referred to a hospital two hours away from the camp where she lives. Though her baby was born healthy, Beata’s experience was dangerous and stressful: “The road was so rough. The car was bouncing me all the way. I thought that I might deliver on the way.” Since then, Save the Children has made huge improvements to the Medicalised Health Centre in Mahama refugee camp, and Beata’s second child was delivered by a skilled team just a walk away from her home.

Photographer Yagazie Emezi:

"In this photo Doctor Yassin is delivering Beata’s baby through caesarean section and in this moment, he has just pulled Beni out and is showing him to Beata. I remember very well this part where she kept saying, “mon chéri, mon chéri” and she was so happy and couldn’t take her eyes off him. 

"It’s important to show the medical techniques that are available to patients. But more than anything, the work that is being done by African doctors.

"Unfortunately, there is still so much negative stereotyping when it comes to what happens on the continent. Other images that are put out there are usually showing traditional midwifery, so it’s important to show this level of technique and technology that is actually quite commonplace.

"The whole scene of being able to watch a child being brought into this world is a reminder of the little things that draw us together."

Claire* is a Burundian woman who was referred to Save the Children’s maternal health centre when she had complications. Dr Yassin operated as soon as possible and Claire gave birth to a healthy baby boy. This photo was taken after the rest day, when Claire’s husband and family came to welcome the baby and accompany them both home. 

Photographer Yagazie Emezi:

"I just thought it was very sweet to see how hands-on everyone was, especially her sister, because Claire was obviously still in recovery from the c-section, so she couldn’t carry the child herself. It was very nice to see how excited her sister was, how present her husband was, and her mum, and just that aspect of community, to have one of your friends show up to support you.

"It challenged my expectations of what a healthcare centre could look like in a refugee camp. It was pristine. I’ve seen private hospitals at home [in Nigeria] that can’t even compare with the level of care that was at the health centre."

A partnership between innovative US drone company, Zipline, and Rwandan Ministry of Health, means Save the Children can fund the speedy delivery of drugs and blood to the medical centre at Mahama refugee camp.

A medic or lab technician places an order by text or phone call and within five minutes, the order is in the air. When the drone is two minutes away, the team gets a warning text so they can clear the area and collect the package. Each drone can carry up to 1.6kg of medical supplies – that’s three 500ml bags of lifesaving blood – and in an emergency, it arrives within half an hour.

Photographer Yagazie Emezi:

"I’d never seen a drone deliver before. We went over to the flight centre and we could see the whole process from beginning to end – where they stored the goods, how they assemble the drones, and how quickly they work. For me it was important to get that moment of launch that also captures the body of the drone itself."

INDONESIA

In Indonesia this year, life at home got harder for many children. Two and a half million children were expected to face water scarcity, food insecurity, and related challenges like missing school.

Twelve-year-old Atika is pictured here walking to school with her cousin Dwi. In her community, children were missing school – some to help out at home or search for food or water; others because their parents couldn’t afford to eat, let alone cover the costs of uniform and equipment. But school attendance has been boosted thanks to new access to water and cash assistance for school costs.

Photographer Ulet Ifansasti:

“Atika and Dwi are cousins. They are very close as cousins but also as friends. They are very connected, they’re the same age, and want to share everything together. When we arrived in their village it was around 6am, and they were preparing for school. It was a very nice light and in the background is Atika’s house, a traditional house of the Sumba people with tall, pitched roofs that tower up to the sky.”

The signs of climate change are in the landscape all around Atika’s home. “The trees are too brown…” she says: “The fields are burned.” Her community’s crops failed last year – decimated by drought. Save the Children is delivering a programme of eco-friendly agricultural training and educational sessions at schools – shaped by community expertise. In all, 350,000 people across Indonesia, including 122,500 children like Atika, will have the chance to prepare for climate change – and see nature as a source of opportunity and joy again.

Photographer Ulet Ifansasti:

“This photo was taken in East Sumba. It’s such a beautiful island. There are horses everywhere, savanna; lots of beauty. In this image, Atika is walking with her neighbour’s horse, climbing up the valley. We were photographing the daily life of Atika and her family in her community. It was taken around 5pm in golden hour, the lighting was very nice. Horses are a very important part of Sumbanese culture. The horse is part of their family, and their life, and is so important to them.”

The Stimulant Institute and Save the Children introduced a solar powered water system that pumps clean water to Atika’s community. “We don't worry anymore,” says Atika’s father, Titus: “And children no longer need to go to the springs.”  

Photographer Ulet Ifansasti:  

“Atika and Dwi had been collecting water with jerry cans from a new solar-powered water system Save the Children had built in their community. Drought and water shortages are common in East Sumba, particularly during the dry season. They stopped for this photograph whilst walking back home. It was the golden hour, and the sun was setting behind them, so we decided to shoot into the light. I used a reflector to bounce the light on their face. We were talking about something and they just burst into laughter, it was a just very natural moment to capture.”

In 2023, in West Sumba, Indonesia, 18-year-old Sandi joined Save the Children’s i2Change programme, which supports communities to develop lifechanging innovative solutions. Sandi formed a team with Soleman and Anjar and took on the lack of water in Sandi’s village. Children and adults were getting up at 3am to walk 3km down a dangerous verge to reach water.

Over the next few months, Sandi and his team developed their plan, and Save the Children and its partners dug the borehole, installed nine taps, and covered the costs. The community now has safe access to water and well irrigated vegetable gardens. Children have the time and energy to study and play. “All our dreams that we held in our heart have come true,” says Sandi.

Photographer Ulet Ifansasti:

“This is an accidental moment. Everyone was already gathering near the water system to collect water that evening. I thought it would be good to photograph Sandi, Soleman and Anjar with the whole community. I wanted the three boys to be the focus, so I arranged them in the centre with the community surrounding them.”

It is 100 years since the Geneva Declaration on the Rights of the Child – which was drafted by Save the Children’s founder, Eglantyne Jebb. To mark the anniversary, Save the Children partnered with children and award-winning photographers in Indonesia, Jordan and Ukraine. Together they created mixed media collages that celebrate their creativity and optimism while highlighting what’s at risk if progress on child rights stalls. Their accompanying poems, expressing who they are and what matters to them, feature in this film.

Reflections from the photographers:

Oksana Parafeniuk, Ukraine:

“I took portraits of all of them, but they were free to choose which positions and with which facial expressions they wanted to be photographed. We then asked them to just be creative and show us how they see themselves in the photo. It was just so fun. A lot of them also used Ukraine colours to represent their home.

“Children all have their own unique personalities. By giving them the tools to create their own art, we can learn more about them and who they are. It gives them a chance to say something to the world.”

Kate Stanworth, Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan:

“Most of the girls were born around the beginning of the Syrian war so have only known life within the confines of the camp, where life is tough and opportunities are limited. Lina* identified with this image of a caged bird, and the flying bird in Free Flower's collage carries seeds and grains used in Syrian cooking. Birds seemed to be a source of obsession and intense fascination for everyone we met in the camp, who associated them with freedom and the dream of escape.”

DRC

When Louis* was eight, his businessman father was killed by an armed group, leaving Louis and his mother struggling to afford food. Louis eventually joined an armed group in the hope of supporting his family. When Louis was ordered to kill a boy or be killed himself, he fled and hid in the jungle for weeks. He was found by the Youth Association for Community Development (AJEDEC), Save the Children’s partner in Ituri. He now lives with other children at an AJEDEC centre, where he is learning to sew clothes: “With the money I earn,” says Louis: “I can pay for my education because my wish is to go back to school”.

Photographer Hugh Kinsella Cunningham:

"The sewing room had an innocence to it, off-cuts of fabrics were strewn around, and chalkboards had been daubed with colourful designs. It felt very far removed from the bleak displacement camps of the area, or the dangerous countryside, where destroyed villages line the muddy roads. I wanted to include some of the fabrics in the photograph, and as former militia members cannot be identified, it was a way to have a little more colour in an anonymous photo. If these children stick with their training, and can overcome their past experiences, the opportunity to train for a profession has the potential to interrupt the cycle of violence here. "

GAZA

Over a year since conflict erupted, more than 14,100 children have been killed in Gaza, many more have died from hunger and disease, and nearly 20,000 are missing. Behind these appalling statistics are the stories of individual children – buried under the rubble, cut off from their families, alone and afraid.

Photographer Sacha Myers:

“I was in shock when I took this photo. I was travelling with three colleagues doing an initial assessment of the situation in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, a city that had endured relentless bombing. Whole apartment blocks were reduced to piles of rubble, with children’s clothes and toys – and bodies – crushed between huge slabs of concrete. I’ve been to a lot of war zones and disasters, but I’ve never been in a situation where as far as the eye can see, every building is rubble. I actually felt physically sick – my body’s reaction to seeing this absolute brutality, this total disregard for human life. 

“Our driver, who knew Khan Younis well, kept apologising because he couldn’t find his way – the city was so destroyed. Then, out of the rubble, a group of children appeared carrying water containers. It was shocking to see because it was hard to fathom how anyone – let alone children – could survive in what was left of the city.”

Ten-year-old Ahmed* was severely injured when an airstrike hit a house close to where he was playing in the Gaza Strip. His father, Mohammed, 45, was nearby: “When we heard the explosion, we ran out. Some fragment of the rocket ricocheted and entered my son’s leg. It broke his right thigh. Many children were playing with him, including his cousins. They were with him and most of them were killed with the same airstrike. It’s hard for us to comprehend what’s happened.”

Save the Children’s Emergency Health Unit is providing life-saving healthcare for children and their families in the Gaza Strip. Paediatric nurse, Becky Platt, has been supporting Ahmed at a newly constructed field hospital, focusing especially on managing his pain and reducing his distress when his wounds are cleaned and bandaged.

Photographer Sacha Myers:

“Ahmed had just come out of surgery when this photo was taken. Ahmed’s father was by his side, stroking his hair and murmuring words of comfort. There was so much love between father and son, and Ahmed was without pain for the first time that morning, so I wanted to capture the moment. 

“A lot of the procedures Ahmed endured were without proper pain relief, so when he arrived in Al Mawasi he was terrified of doctors and anyone touching this leg. With enormous care and patience, Save the Children’s Emergency Health Unit staff were building trust with Ahmed and ensuring his pain was kept under control. Ahmed’s story will stay with me forever. His suffering – both physically and mentally – is unspeakable. I still think about the children I met in Gaza every day. I wonder if Ahmed will ever achieve his dreams. I wonder if he’ll ever be able to climb the stairs to his classroom. I wonder if he’ll survive this war.”

JORDAN

In Zaatari refugee camp, fourteen-year-old Rita* likes to listen to the birds sing as she drinks her coffee, and hang out with her friends at the Adolescent Girls' Empowerment Centre. She describes this girls and women-only centre, run by Save the Children, as the place where she learned to be capable and strong. Rita is passionate about children’s rights, especially the right to education: “Education is important....our parents couldn’t fulfil their dreams, so for us, we want to make our dreams real.”

Photographer Kate Stanworth:

“Inside the girls' empowerment centre, a group of teenage girls excitedly lined up for self-defence. Over the preceding days they'd told us heartbreaking stories of how their families escaped the Syrian conflict. The classes were a form of catharsis that helped them feel strong. I positioned myself to photograph the girls' faces as they hit the punchbag, hoping to capture their emotions. This picture I think captures Rita's strength as well as her vulnerability.

“I have thought about the girls a lot since I shot this picture, trapped out there in the desert, not able to enjoy the freedom and opportunities that we take for granted. What will remain with me is their strength of character, and their ability to find creative solutions in the face of adversity.”

IRAQ

Ten years ago, in August 2014, ISIS fighters attacked the Yazidi community in Sinjar, killing thousands and capturing thousands more people into a slavery system. Athaab*, who was just 16, was captured alongside her mother, father, and siblings and the family were subjected to severe oppression and torment. By 2015, Athaab had managed to escape, but her family remained in captivity. Despite searching extensively, she found no trace of them, leaving her in a state of loss and despair. She now receives psychosocial support through the family case management referral scheme run by Save the Children and local partners.

Photographer Emily Garthwaite:

“Athaab drew her peacock-embroidered lace curtains shut to block out the midday heat and served us piping hot tea sweetened generously with sugar. Children ran excitedly between the rooms as Athaab and I began discussing the photos. She expressed a desire to keep her identity and that of her children private, and I explained how I would approach taking the photographs. These conversations are essential – it’s not simply about consent, it allows us both to relax and collaborate.

“I asked if we could explore her home further, and the corridor, with its newly polished reflective floors, eventually became the setting for our photographs. Initially, I captured a portrait of Athaab, but then her daughter ran into the frame. Here, she is being kissed and then gently told to get out of the photo. I loved the corridor; it felt like a tunnel, a stepping stone into an unknowable future, and the blue hues felt contemplative.”

Athaab lived in a displacement camp for years after her escape, facing constant threats and dangers. Eventually, she returned home to Sinjar, to find it devastated. The town had no essential infrastructure, everything had been destroyed by ISIS. She calls on the authorities and international community to help rebuild the city, so that everyone can return. It’s estimated that more than 200,000 Yazidis still live in displacement camps.

Save the Children in Iraq supports the survivors of the Yazidi genocide through psychological support programs, child protection services, case management and referrals as well as youth programs.

Photographer Emily Garthwaite:

“Athaab’s home has a view of a building that has suffered mortar shell impacts, leaving two storeys destroyed. The village feels likes two villages, one forgotten and abandoned, and the other appearing from the ashes. 

“When we stepped outside the house, I explored the bombed buildings and discovered a single ladder leading to nowhere. The children immediately climbed it. To me, these two scenes captured the uncertain future of the Yazidis, embodying both their courage and their determination to move forward despite the challenges they face.”

Ten years after ISIS attacked her community and forced her to flee with her family, Viyan*, a 15-year-old Yazidi girl, still lives in a camp for displaced people. She rarely leaves her tent unless it’s for school. Viyan longs for a better life. Troubled by the oppressive treatment of children and the general sadness in the camp, Viyan has campaigned at several child rights conferences in Baghdad, and is supported by Save the Children’s Family Safe programme, which prevents physical and humiliating punishment in the home. Viyan wants to study hard and become a doctor when she grows up.

Photographer Emily Garthwaite:

“I met Viyan in a camp near Duhok on Red Wednesday, a Yazidi celebration that marks the onset of spring by collecting poppies and daisies, painting eggs, and applying shells to doorways with bread and clay.

“Only one lightbulb lit the room. Viyan styled herself, and her sister applied makeup from a series of old palettes. I aimed to capture Viyan as an angel, or Milyakat, in Yazidi culture a guiding light, a beautiful blessing. Yazidis envision angels as mermaids in the sky. She said she felt like an angel when she looked at the photo.”

UK

Just two weeks after Bethan (now three) was born, Mary and Stephen's landlord announced that he wanted to sell the house they were living in with their three children. After a drawn-out legal battle, they were evicted. "It was terrifying" says Mary. The family were housed in various hotels where they were unable to cook, wash school uniforms or have any sense of stability. Next came a temporary flat, and finally, after three months, the home they're in now, which is on the opposite side of the city. This meant moving schools, losing friends and being far from where Mary grew up. Essentially starting over.

At this point, Mary applied for Save the Children’s Early Years Grant. With the vouchers, Mary and Stephen were able to buy mattresses for the children. The kids were overjoyed with the toy-pack that came with the vouchers too – as they lost most of their toys in the moves. Today the family are feeling more settled – still missing their old house and area, but enjoying the new one too.

Photographer Anna Sass:

“During my time with the family, I observed that Bethan, three, had a very independent spirit standing out from the lively energy of her older siblings. While they ran around, calling the attention of mum, Bethan often stayed in her own world, quietly observing the commotion. This image captures a perfect moment – just as I approached to photograph her drawing on the floor, she glanced up in surprise, startled by her brother mischievously drawing all over himself.

The word ‘home’ has taken on a deeper meaning for Mary since her family’s struggle with homelessness. “I suppose there are two ways of looking at it,” she says: “‘Home’ as in the building. But for me, home, I think, is being where my children are, because they’re everything to me. So as long as they were with me, I was okay. But, it's nice to have somewhere we can settle and actually call our home. And we're all together, so that’s the main thing."

Photographer Anna Sass:

“I wanted to capture a portrait that reflected each family member's personality, avoiding the typical posed, ‘say cheese’ shot. I incorporated dynamic elements like throwing teddies, pulling silly faces, and moments where the siblings were making each other laugh. It’s an image that’s full of energy.”

ROMANIA

Bucharest reminds eight-year-old Marko* of his home in Ukraine. He likes the bustling city and its playgrounds, but the war interrupted his education, his karate training, and his relationships: “I have many friends back home in Odesa, but I don’t have many here,” he says. Marko is slowly settling back into life with the loving support of his mum Yana* and language lessons, counselling, social events, and financial support from Save the Children. Marko is always eager to help Yana at home: "I want to eat with her and cook for her when she gets old," he says with a smile, before giving his mum a big hug.  

Photographer Oksana Parafeniuk:

“Marco was a really, really sweet kid. He was very straightforward, very open, had a lot of his own thoughts and opinions. He lives with his mum and they have a very loving relationship - and - you can see that she wants to do everything for him and she really wants to protect him. They both really enjoy each other’s company… they go on walks together, and to the playground. Yana is super attuned to all his interests too. I was just waiting for this moment and it naturally happened, and I was happy I was able to photograph it.

“It was interesting for me to see families who left Ukraine adjusting to their new life. It was really nice to see how Yana has managed to create this home and comfortable life for herself and her son – which has been difficult for her because she has to work whilst arranging all of this. But you could see for Marko, he was happy and had adjusted.”

In 2022, Alia* and her parents fled Ukraine abruptly after a missile struck near their home. They left with only the basics. Settling into a new country came with initial challenges. "When I arrived in Bucharest, I didn't like it at first,” says Alia: “It was all different. Different people, a different language... I couldn't connect with people. But after some time, I felt better in Romania. I like it here now." One of Alia’s favourite places is the Save the Children Hub. "I like to play, spend my time there, and I study English there," she says.

Photographer Oksana Parafeniuk:

“This image was taken outside Save the Children’s Hub right next to the school where children play. They were playing all sorts of games, as kids do, it was nice to see the interactions. All of them had come from different Ukrainian families that had left Ukraine after the invasion so it was just nice to see them doing something together, talking in Ukrainian and hanging out. It was a difficult moment to photograph as the rope was moving so fast. I just wanted to show this very active, alive scene of them playing, jumping and laughing.”