WHEN THE WORLD CLOSED
In 2020, the world came to a standstill. Streets emptied, borders closed, and ordinary life was replaced by uncertainty. In Addu City, the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped how people lived, worked, mourned, and hoped. As a photojournalist, I documented these moments not as distant events, but as lived history unfolding before my lens.
This photo essay follows the progression of the pandemic—from deserted streets and quarantine, through loss and restricted burials, to the arrival of the first vaccines that signaled the beginning of recovery. These photographs are a record of resilience, sacrifice, and remembrance.
