The best photographs of 2021 – and the stories behind them – The Guardian
A funeral for Covid victims, Mumbai
Divyakant Solanki/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
23 April I was staying on the outskirts of Mumbai when news broke that there was a fire in one of the hospitals dealing with Covid patients. I rushed over to find them shifting patients to other hospitals; they said more than 10 people had died already as a result.
The funeral was devastating. There were 10 to 12 Covid victims laid out on the funeral pyre with their relatives gathered around, many of them in tears. Dealing with the emotions of relatives and loved ones is the most difficult part of covering events as a photojournalist.
Civic workers, such as the man in this photo, had a very important role in funerals during Covid – they were the only people allowed to issue last rites. Sadly, there wasn’t nearly enough PPE for relatives to be able to enter the funeral ground or touch the bodies of their dead family members.
This photo is very close to my heart; I have seen so many dead bodies over the past year, but it is difficult to capture the impact that has had on me, let alone the people who have lost relatives. I think seeing a man in PPE, sombrely walking between funeral pyres, shows the human toll of the pandemic. As told to Alex Mistlin
Tunisian people wait for help on a wooden boat, Lampedusa, Italy
Santi Palacios/AP
25 July We were sailing in international waters just south of the island of Lampedusa when we heard fishers calling through the radio, saying there was this small boat with 17 people in it that was taking on water and desperate for help.
The most difficult thing about working at sea is having to work around the rescue operation. The sea route connecting Libya to Italy is one of the deadliest migrant routes in the world. You are in the middle of nowhere, which can be very challenging, especially at night. But when you are lucky and have enough light, or a full moon, you really get the chance to show how lonely the crossings are.
I worry that it is not always apparent how extreme these situations are. People have already seen pictures of refugees drowning in the Mediterranean; everyone knows that it is going on. …….