Story perspectives

Pulitzer Gaza Photo of Disabled Boy Sparks Aid Boost

5/6/2026

Center

Photographer Sparks Controversy

The Pulitzer-winning photo of an emaciated boy sparked criticism, prompting the New York Times to note his pre-existing medical condition.
Photographer Saher Alghorra received the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for photography for his Gaza war series.
The newspaper revised its story to say the boy had cerebral palsy and low-oxygen blood.
President Donald Trump said the images proved starvation, prompting U.S. and Israel to improve aid.

Left

Alghorra Wins Pulitzer

Pulitzer judges described Alghorra’s Gaza series as haunting and sensitive, emphasizing the conflict’s humanitarian toll.
Palestinian photographer Saher Alghorra won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for breaking-news photography for his Gaza war series.
Pulitzer Administrator Marjorie Miller said the award highlights independent journalism’s role under U.S. media pressures.
Alghorra also received France’s Prix Bayeux Calvados-Normandie first-prize for war photography last October.

History

Historical Context

During the 1993 Sudan famine, South African photographer Kevin Carter captured a starving child collapsed on the trail to a United Nations feeding centre about half a mile away, with a vulture nearby. Published in The New York Times on March 26, 1993, the image won the 1994 Pulitzer for Feature Photography and spurred worldwide fundraising and debate over war-photo ethics.

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Photographer Sparks Controversy

The Pulitzer-winning photo of an emaciated boy sparked criticism, prompting the New York Times to note his pre-existing medical condition.
Photographer Saher Alghorra received the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for photography for his Gaza war series.
The newspaper revised its story to say the boy had cerebral palsy and low-oxygen blood.
President Donald Trump said the images proved starvation, prompting U.S. and Israel to improve aid.

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