IDAHO — Kim Gamel, a 57-year-old veteran journalist who reported from conflict zones, died on Wednesday in Idaho after a prolonged illness with lymphoma. Her brother-in-law, Lee Ruff, confirmed the death.

Gamel worked for a news agency for approximately 20 years, during which she reported from various conflict zones, including Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, and Egypt. She directed coverage of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings and the early stages of the Syrian civil war from Cairo.

Robert H. Reid, a former regional editor, said, "Kim was an energetic reporter and careful editor who made contacts easily, from military members and diplomats to store clerks and day laborers." He added, "She had a wide circle of friends and enjoyed mentoring less experienced journalists as much as producing her own work."

Paul Haven, an executive vice president, said, "Kim's career took her all over the world, and made her witness to history." Haven said, "But whether it was covering the Arab Spring or the war in Iraq, she sought the human stories that brought those wars to life." He also said, "Her work made a difference in people's lives, and she will be deeply missed."

Her reporting generated tens of thousands of dollars in donations for an Iraqi girl who was blinded and disfigured by a 2006 bombing that killed her mother. Gamel wrote, "Shams was luckier than many Iraqi victims of violence because so many people came forward with offers of help." The girl received overseas medical treatment and was fitted with prosthetic eyes. Reid said, "Whatever good things happen to Shams in the future are due to Kim Gamel and her big heart."

She began her print journalism career after graduating from Bates College in Maine, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Russian. She worked for an English-language publication in Russia following her undergraduate studies and later earned a master's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She previously served as Nordic and Baltic news editor in Sweden, covering the Nobel Prizes during her tenure, and also worked as an editor in New York.

In 2014, she departed her agency roles to participate in a journalism fellowship at the University of Michigan. Following her fellowship, she covered Asian affairs from a base in Seoul, South Korea, and most recently worked in Hawaii. She is survived by her mother Bobbie Gamel, her sister Seana Ruff, her brother-in-law Lee Ruff, a nephew, and a niece.