In Memorium: Almigdad Mojalli
Freelance journalist Almigdad Mojalli was killed in an air strike in the Yemen capital in January 2016 while on assignment for the Voice of America. Mr. Mojalli had been reporting for Voice of America from October 2015 until his death on the human impact of the war and the economic crisis in Yemen. He was mortally wounded in Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on January 17, 2016, near the Yemeni capital of Sana’a while filming the aftermath of a previous air raid on a civilian area. He was 34 years old.
“His death is tragic, but Mr. Mojalli passed away doing work that he felt was his responsibility as a human being,” said CEO John Lansing at a ceremony to remember Mr. Mojalli. “He was utterly dedicated to covering humanitarian crises, exposing human rights abuses and providing unbiased reporting.
“Mr. Mojalli sought to portray the terrible human cost of conflict – respectfully, accurately, and in the end, powerfully,“ Lansing said. “With his signature professional touch, he documented many scenes of trauma and destruction, even as the outside world turned a blind eye.”
“I’ve been to dozens of bomb sites. Even as a Yemeni, it is hard not to become
desensitized. Every day, I wake up to hear that 10 people were killed last night,
or 20, or 40. It almost stops feeling real. More than anything, you focus on
protecting those you care for. I am a journalist working in a war zone, but I am
also a husband, a son and a father.”
— Almigdad Mojalli in a first-person account written for IRIN, an independent media organization reporting from the front lines of crisis around the world.
