Kim Gamel, a seasoned journalist who reported extensively on conflicts and political upheavals across the Middle East, has died at the age of 57. Gamel passed away Wednesday in Idaho after a battle with lymphoma, her brother-in-law, Lee Ruff, confirmed.

Gamel’s career spanned more than two decades, most notably with the Associated Press, where she covered critical events such as the Iraq War and the Arab Spring uprisings. Her reporting frequently highlighted the human impact of conflict. One of her notable stories involved Shams Karim, a young Iraqi girl blinded and disfigured in a 2006 car bombing in Baghdad. Gamel’s coverage not only brought international attention to Karim’s plight but also helped secure donations and medical treatment for the child, including prosthetic eyes.

Colleagues remember Gamel as an empathetic reporter and dedicated editor, known for her ability to establish rapport with a wide range of contacts, from military personnel to civilians. Robert H. Reid, former Middle East regional editor at the AP who worked closely with Gamel, described her as both a mentor to younger journalists and a compassionate presence in high-pressure war zones. Gamel was also noted for small personal gestures, such as sharing coffee and medication with colleagues during their assignments in Baghdad.

Born and raised in Idaho, Gamel pursued Russian studies at Bates College in Maine before beginning her journalism career abroad with the Moscow Tribune. She later earned a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School. After nearly 20 years with the AP, she left in 2014 to undertake a Knight-Wallace journalism fellowship at the University of Michigan. Following the fellowship, she joined Stars and Stripes, covering Asian affairs from Seoul. More recently, she worked in Hawaii.

During her tenure at the AP, Gamel also served as the Nordic and Baltic news editor based in Sweden, where she covered events including the Nobel Prizes. She worked on the agency’s International Desk in New York, but her most prominent assignments were in conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, and Egypt. From Cairo, she played a key role in directing coverage of the Arab Spring, which led to the ousting of several governments in 2011, and reported on the early stages of Syria’s civil war.

Paul Haven, vice president of Global Newsgathering at the AP, acknowledged Gamel’s commitment to telling the human stories behind the headlines, emphasizing the enduring impact of her work.

Kim Gamel is survived by her mother, Bobbie Gamel; sister, Seana Ruff; brother-in-law, Lee Ruff; and two nieces and nephews.