Andrew Youngson
The Devil’s Garden
Andrew Youngson’s portrait of Mastoor Ali Atia (below) was selected for the first Portrait Salon in 2011 and is part of his work entitled ‘The Devil’s Garden’ documenting Bedouin communities living amidst Second World War minefields in Egypt’s Western Desert.
Mastoor Ali Attia (43) was injured at El Alamein in the early 1990s. He was dining in the desert with friends when their campfire triggered UXO buried beneath it. Mastoor lost his left arm, left eye and penis. His left leg is partially lame. After the explosion he was unconscious for one week and is now awaiting plastic surgery.
‘It is estimated that approximately 17 million unexploded anti-personnel and anti-tank mines; artillery shells; bombs dropped by aircraft and machine gun, small arms and mortar rounds remain beneath the sand.’
Negi Helal Khamis (39) was injured in 1998 at El Harabi when he and another man prepared a fire for lunch. After the explosion Negi was left deaf in one ear, blind in both eyes and with shrapnel injuries to his left arm. The other man was killed.
‘Official records of incidents involving UXO have not been kept until recently but it is believed thousands of Bedouin have been killed or injured since the end of the Second World War.’
Looking south into the desert from the Alexandria/Marsa Matrouh Road.
Fouad Abu Sake (67) picked up an object in the desert twenty years ago near Sidi And El Rahmen. When it exploded he lost his right arm above the elbow and was hit in the face by shrapnel. Fouadi’s older brother, Meftah was killed by a mine while walking in the desert in the early 1950s.
‘The term ‘Devil’s Gardens’ was first used by the German General Erwin Rommel to describe the box-like areas of minefields and barbed wire installed by Allied and Axis forces during the conflict.’
Saleh Beha (47) was found by scrap metal dealers after he stepped on a mine in the desert twenty years ago. Saleh bought his first artificial leg 4 or 5 years after the incident and now runs a small shop.
A boy walks in the desert south of El Alamein.
Rabeh Dawi Salem (40) stepped on an anti-personnel mine in 1986, leaving his left leg so badly damaged that it had to be amputated above the knee. Rabeh used to own an artificial leg but prefers to use a crutch.
Andrew Youngson is a London-based photographer and writer whose work explores the relationship between landscape and memory, specifically in conjunction with the long-term effects of armed conflict.
He has worked with UNICEF in Ethiopia; Al Haq in Palestine; SOS Sahel and Book Aid International in the UK; Bedouin communities affected by Second World War land minesin Egypt and unexploded ordnance contamination in Berlin.
After graduating with degree in Fine Art Andrew interned at Magnum Photos and has been working as a freelance photographer since 2006.
andrewyoungson.com
Twitter: @ayoungson
Instagram: @ayoungson
James O Jenkins