Two girls walk down a rutted concrete road. The oldest of the pair is dressed in a school uniform - white blouse, navy skirt - her socks pulled up and her black shoes clean. Beside her, a smaller girl munches on a piece of watermelon. She appears to be about 5 or 6 and the taller girl is gripping her far shoulder protectively.
On the raised pavement to their left is a man wearing a black uniform, flak jacket, balaclava and boots. Only his eyes and hands are visible. The taller child stares at him; he may be meeting her gaze but it's hard to tell. Behind him are four other men, legs akimbo, hands on heads, facing a wall. They're guarded by an armed man, also in black. It's another day on the streets of San Salvador.
Chilean photographer Tomas Munita's poignant work is one of the standouts of this year's World Press Photo exhibition, currently showing in Auckland. The image is part of a series commissioned by the New York Times last year.
The works document life on the violent streets of El Salvador. This photo was taken during an anti-gang raid in the capital San Salvador. Gangs control the streets and the murder rate is high. At the centre of the violence are two opposing gangs - Mara Salvatrucha and rivals Barrio 18.
