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A Darfur photo essay
Misfortune beset Sudan once again in 2003. The ill-fated succession of events that developed in Darfur left thousands of people dead and even more homeless. Families torn apart, orphaned children, the drama of malnutrition and the appalling undermining of human dignity and self-respect are part of day-to-day reality in Darfur.
In 2002 I was in Baghdad; as all my Iraqi colleagues and friends, I spent months glued to the news trying to read what was going to happen. At some point it became evident that sooner or later the war was going to break out. I recall being astonished when I saw people attempting to continue their daily lives as normally as possible. Iraqis started to store basic supplies at home in anticipation of the war: water, flour, sugar, fuel – but you could still see them working, walking in the streets, eating outside. That made you think, “What else can you do when you have no choice?”
In Darfur I have experienced something similar. There is a whole life parallel to the conflict; something normally not seen on the news, and this is what I try to reflect in my pictures: children playing and laughing, men getting together for a chat, women expressing their femininity. These little joys and the beauty of life continue despite the tragedy. I hope that these photographs do justice to the prevailing spirit and humour of the Darfurians and, most of all, their incredible kindness and hospitality.
Diego Fernández Gabaldón