Canadian photographer Finbarr O'Reilly has won 2005's World Press Photo for the photograph shown above, taken in an emergency feeding centre in Niger.

O Reilly's photo was taken for Reuters, and was chosen from amongst 80 000 entries from over 4000 photographers from 122 different countries. The competition included 63 winners in 10 different categories.

James Colton, chairman of the jury, said of the photo: "This picture has haunted me ever since I first saw it two weeks ago. It has stayed in my head, even after seeing all the thousands of others during the competition. This image has everything — beauty, horror and despair. It is simple, elegant and moving."

O'Reilly's win gives two consecutive wins to Reuters; last year's top prize was given to Arko Datta for a photo showing an Indian woman grieing the death of a relative in the Asian tsunami. O'Reilly will receive his 10 000 euro prize at a ceremony in Amsterdam in April.

Source: Times Online