One of the poor families collecting firewood from the street and the burn to feel some warmth in Aleppo, Syria on August 19, 2016. (Photo by Basem Ayoubi/Imageslive/ZUMA Press/Splash News)

Afghan children play on the remains of a Soviet-era armored personnel carrier on the outskirts of Jalalabad on February 15, 2016. Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan on February 15, 1989, after ten years of fighting against Mujahidin militiamen. (Photo by Noorullah Shirzada/AFP Photo)

Hundreds of colourful pumpkins and squash create an extraordinary rainbow scene at a vegetable wholesale market in Bangladesh on August 1, 2019. A seller sits among his vibrant wares which are produced by farmers from local villages. (Photo by Abdul Momin/Solent News)

People cool off at Crown Fountain in Millennium Park as temperatures reached a record high of 97 degrees Fahrenheit on June 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Temperatures in the city are expected to reach highs in the 90s for the remainder of the week. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Muqtada Haider turns the switches to transfer electricity to private homes in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, September 10, 2021. In Iraq, electricity is a potent symbol of endemic corruption, rooted in the country’s sectarian power-sharing system. This contributes to chronic electrical outages of up to 14 hours a day in a major oil-producing nation with plentiful energy resources. (Photo by Hadi Mizban/AP Photo)

A group of teachers and their student use makeshift raft as they cross the street during flood that hit Ranomeeto Barat village in Konawe Selatan, Sulawesi island, Indonesia, July 10, 2018. (Photo by Jojon/Reuters/Antara Foto)

“Himalayan Dog”. This dog just appeared out of nowhere and followed us for an entire week during our trekking trip in the Himalayan outback. He always used to sleep in front of our tent and guarded us in the nights. When I decided to get up at 4 a.m. to climb the next 5000 m peak for sunrise he accompanied me as well. On the top he was sitting for the entire 30 minutes on this place looking straight into the countryside. Photo location: Ladakh, India. (Photo and caption by Sebastian Wahlhuetter/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Theyyam”. Preparation for the Theyyam performance in the surroundings of Kasaragod city. Theyyam is a popular ritual dance form of North Kerala, particularly in Kannur and Kasargod districts. The Theyyam represents a mythological, divine or heroic character. Make up of Theyyams is done by specialist. There are different types of face painting for which primarily and secondary colours are used. Therefore it is essential that the makeup man should have perfect knowledge of primary and secondary colour combinations. Sometimes, it takes several hours to paint each face. Photo location: Kasaragod, India. (Photo and caption by Rafal Ziejewski/National Geographic Photo Contest)