For more than a decade, images of war and death have filled most Americans’ minds when they think of Afghanistan. What is easily forgotten in times of war is the people. Daniel Berehulak gives a glimpse into daily life in the country’s capital of Kabul, as well the shifting security forces.

Photographer Jonathan Torgovnik traveled to the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo last year to reveal the lasting effects of a little-known conflict. In 2009, violence erupted among villages over fishing rights in Congo, forcing an estimated 165,000 people to find refuge across the Ubangui River.

Photojournalist Chris Hondros was on assignment in Misrata, Libya, when he suffered a fatal brain injury on April 20, 2011. But over the years, his lens gravitated toward children, some of those "most affected in these conflicts" that he covered.

When photographer Shaul Schwarz visited Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in 2008 to document CNN Hero Maria Ruiz, he found a dangerous world. Blown away by “the craziness of what’s going on down there,” he returned a week later and started an ongoing documentary project.

British photojournalist Peter Dench has been documenting “the ordinary and the extraordinary” in England for over a decade. A collection of his distinctive, quirky images will soon be published in “England Uncensored” – the first book financed by the crowd-funding website Emphas.is.

People all over the world dress up on the eve of the New Year. But in Edinburgh, Scotland, the locals take dressing up to a new extreme – by dressing as Vikings. Photographer Jeff J. Mitchell captured the beginning of this annual event, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, or last day of the year, celebrations.

As a photographer based in the Middle East, Uriel Sinai sees his share of violence and hardship. This season, however, Sinai captured the Christmas spirit in the little West Bank town of Bethlehem. Pilgrims travel from around the world to visit the Church of the Nativity, where it is believed Jesus was born.

Photojournalist Joe Raedle has been covering the Iraq War since its start in 2003. He’s now documenting its final days as the last American troops prepare to leave the country. The Getty Images photographer shares some of his memorable moments from over the years.