UNICEF, the international charity for the protection of children, has announced British photographer David Gillanders as this year’s winner of the UNICEF Photo of the Year competition.

His shot of a 13 year old girl, living and dying in poverty in Eastern Europe, is quite an amazing and shocking portrait.

Even more so are the other entries and stories on the site such as Jacob Ehrbahn’s Kashmir earthquake coverage.

This acts as an incredibly powerful reminder of what is happening to children (and adults) not just on the other side of the world, but right on our doorsteps, while the minority of us live in our comfortable western surroundings.

For more extraordinary stories and images it is worth while following the ‘more photos’ by the photographs in the ‘Honorable Mention’ section as well.

It highlights that it is not just money these people need but knowledge, compassion and freedom from the corruption that is actively keeping them down. By corruption I don’t simply mean low level local corruption and petty crime, but international corruption perpertrated by governments and corporations. We should hold them in our thoughts, and act on our convictions, no matter how hard it seems.

Yeah sure, it’s easy for me write this and very worthy and all that, but anyone can criticise. We have to start somewhere and anything is better than nothing, think positive.

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