She doesn't have much of a body, but it's still for hire

Picture of drug-addled Ukrainian prostitute among the most startling press photographs of 2012

(Tragic: This work by Brent Stirton won first prize in the Contemporary Issues Singles category. it shows Maria, a drug-addicted sex worker, resting between clients in the room she rents in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. The country has the highest incidence of HIV/Aids in Europe, according to UNICEF)

From the disturbing image of a drugs-addicted prostitute smoking a cigarette, to a haunting picture of a desperate mother standing alone amidst the devastation of the Japanese Tsunami - the World Press Photo contest offers a vivid reflection of the world we live in.

('Child brides': This image by Stephanie Sinclair won first prize in the Contemporary Issues Stories category. Pictured are Tahani (in pink), who was married at the age of six, and her former classmate Ghada, also a child bride, standing with their husbands outside their home in Hajjah, Yemen)

An exhibition of the winning entries, which went on show at the Southbank Centre in London today showcases the best in photojournalism from across the globe and features startling pictures from the world in 2011.

This year's top prize was awarded to Spanish photographer Samuel Aranda for his image of a mother cradling her son in her hands after he has been overcome by tear gas during an anti-government demonstration in Yemen. (continue at Daily Mail Online, see other photographs)

Comments

[R.J. Godlewski]

Most DEFINITELY NOT the kind of Ukrainian women that I know of!!!!!