The awarded British photographer, Tom Stoddart, the author of the legendary “Woman from Sarajevo” photo from 1995 has died at the age of 68.

The author of the said photo from the besieged Sarajevo wrote in its description “Meliha Varesanovic proudly and defiantly walks on her way to work in besieged Sarajevo.”

The photograph was found in his collection ‘Extraordinary Women,’ which covers a period of ten years, and which was exhibited in a gallery in Newcastle last year.

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Tom after a brave fight against cancer.
He felt blessed that he had found true happiness with Ailsa.
The family kindly ask that their privacy be respected at this time.

— Tom Stoddart (@Stoddart_Photos) November 17, 2021

Recalling the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Stoddart once said he decided he had to go to Sarajevo after images from the BiH capital from the early 1990s reached the world.

He returned to Sarajevo several times during the war and said he was fascinated by the resistance of women in the war.

“The main reason why I kept coming back was that I couldn't help but be affected by the dignified and determined way in which these people behaved. I knew they would survive as long as they were like that. I photographed women for a long time. As in all conflicts, women suffer the most. Sarajevan women lost an average of 20 kilograms. They ran everywhere, trying to find food for their children, husbands and parents – putting the needs of loved ones ahead of their own. They gathered at water pumps and in groups looking for food. It was amazing to watch that,” he said.

Stoddart was wounded during his stay in wartime Sarajevo. He returned to the city on the 20th anniversary of the siege when he met the Sarajevo woman, whom he photographed during the war.