Past Laureates

"They leave with a new purpose to their lives, full of ambition, hope and love." For her lifetime's work helping children recover from sexual exploitation in Colombia's Caribbean coastal region, Mayerlin Vegara Perez, 45, has been named UNHCR's Nansen Refugee Award Laureate 2020.

Lawyer Azizbek Ashurov, the winner of the 2019 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award, pictured in Kyrgyzstan.

Dr. Evan Atar was awarded the 2018 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award for his outstanding commitment and self-sacrifice in providing medical services to over 200,000 people, including approximately 144,000 refugees from Sudan's Blue Nile state.

Mr Mustapha and his son who is enrolled in a nursery class at the school. Future Prowess Islamic Foundation School (I), Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.

2016 - Konstantinos Mitragas on behalf of the Hellenic Rescue Team and Efi Latsoudi, a human rights activist behind "PIKPA village" on the Greek island of Lesvos, are joint winners of UNHCR's Nansen Award 2016. The award recognizes their tireless efforts to aid refugee arrivals in Greece during 2015.

2016 - Efi Latsoudi plays is pictured at "PIKPA village" on the Greek island of Lesvos. Latsoudi is a human rights activist behind PIKPA, where vulnerable refugees such as children, pregnant women and the disabled have been finding sanctuary since 2012.

2015 - Aqeela Asifi was awarded for her indefatigable efforts to help refugee girls access education. She has changed the lives of hundreds of young refugees. Aqeela Asifi, an Afghan refugee living in Pakistan, has been named the 2015 winner of UNHCR's Nansen Refugee Award. Asifi has dedicated her adult life to educating refugee girls. Despite minimal resources and significant cultural challenges, hundreds of girls have now passed through her school, equipped with life-long skills and brighter hopes for their futures.

Colombia / Bajo Calima, Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca / IDPs / Butterflies of New Wings is a network comprised of about 120 core volunteers. Each woman is tasked with recruiting five new women so that their reach will become wider. The group is described as a ' protection network of women helping women within the armed conflict.' Part of their strategy is to stay below the radar of the armed groups - of which there are many- in Buenaventura.From Left: Maritza Yaneth Asprilla Cruz 49 ears old; IDP; 3 children-Adult son died in tragic accident-Suffered domestic violence by her stepfather-By age 7 she took care of her siblings; at age 9 she started working as a maid-Received her high school diploma at 36 years old. -Now she studies to become a nurse-She joined the "Butterfly network" 2 years ago.-She teaches women about self-care. Gloria Amparo Arboleda Murillo IDP; 49 years old; co-founder of Butterflies-Single mother of two daughters-Grew up in extreme poverty; raised 4 of her siblings from age of 7 (mother disabled)-20+ yrs promoting women's rights- 2008: helped generate support for a new Women's Law to safeguard women's rights & prevent SGBV-Has faced direct threats after helping a mother/daughter who suffered domestic abuse. Mery Medina 50 years old; at high risk of displacement-Single mother to her son-Coordinates a group of 30 women whose husbands/sons have been assassinated or have disappeared-Helps to improve their financial position by offering cooking & sewing workshops-Helps SGBV survivors to speak and express their emotions-Didn't have money to study, but her dream was always to become a social worker. UNHCR / Juan Arredondo / August 2014

Nansen Refugee Award winner Mama Hawa

The director of SHS, Nasser Salim Ali Al-Hamairy, gives milk to newly arrived children in Mayfa'a Hadjar Transit Centre.

Alixandra Fazzina, Nansen Award winner 2010.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy has a smile and a handshake for an unidentified young refugee in an eastern Sudan camp in 1984. Many of the refugees had walked for a week to reach the camp from Eritrea.

Lebanon / Chris Clark, British programme manager for UNMACC-South Lebanon, uses models to explain the different types of munitions found in southern Lebanon. / UNHCR / P. Taggart / August 2008

A lawyer from Malta, Katrine Camilleri was recognized for her work with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS). The Nansen Committee praised her exceptional dedication to the refugee cause and her outstanding contribution in protection and assistance to refugees and for lobbying on their behalf despite threats and personal risk

Japanese optometrist Akio Kanai, who is shown testing the eyes of a girl in Armenia, has used all prize money that came with his Nansen Refugee Award to help refugees and internally displaced in Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Marguerite Barankitse, dubbed the "Angel of Burundi," for her tireless efforts on behalf of children affected by war, poverty and disease. Through her work with her organization, Maison Shalom, Barankitse sent a message of hope for the future. The Burundian Tutsi and her team ran four "children's villages" in Burundi as well as a centre for orphans and other vulnerable children in Bujumbura. She said her work was inspired by one goal: peace.

Russia's Memorial Human Rights Centre received the Nansen for helping tens of thousands of refugees and internally displaced people across the Russian Federation. The Nansen Committee was particularly impressed with the wide range of services carried out by Memorial on behalf of forced migrants and internally displaced people as well as refugees from as far afield as Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Memorial emerged during the former Soviet Union's "perestroika," or restructuring period of the 1980s.

Somalia / Dr. Annalena Tonelli , a 60-year-old Italian humanitarian worker, with one of her patients. Dr. Tonelli was tragically shot and killed on October 5, 2003 in the hospital she ran for tuberculosis patients in Borama, north-western Somalia. Her 33-year struggle to help Somalis in remote corners of the Horn of Africa had won her UNHCR's Nansen Refugee Award in June 2003.

2002 Nansen Refugee Award recipients: Mr. Wilhelm Wilhelmsen, CEO Wilh. Wilhemsen ASA, Ms. Catherine Rinnan on the behalf of her father Capt. Arne F. Rinnan, and Ms. Grete Bugge, 2nd Officer MV Tampa on the behalf of the Tampa crew.

Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti with High Commissioner Ruud Lubbers at last year's concert for Afghanistan.

General / Crimean Tatar activist Mustafa Dzhemilev was awarded the Nansen Medal for 1998, for his commitment to the right of return of the Crimean Tatar people. Palais des Nations, Geneva. / UNHCR / A. Hollmann / 5 October 1998

Sister Joannes Klas, of Belgium, Wisconsin (USA) was awarded the 1997 Nansen Medal for her outstanding work with Guatemalan refugees and returnees over the past 15 years. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mrs. Sadako Ogata, presented the medal to Sister Klas at a ceremony at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on 13 October 1997. / UNHCR / A. Hollmann

NANSEN MEDAL AWARD CEREMONY 1996 / The Nansen Medal for 1996 was awarded to the Franco-Belgian NGO Handicap International for its outstanding work with refugees. UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mrs. Sadako Ogata, presented the medal at a ceremony at the Palais des Nations in Geneva to Dr. Jean-Baptiste Richardier, co-director and co-founder of Handicap International, and Patrick Segal, its vice president, who also is France's inter-ministerial delegate for handicapped people. They accepted the award on behalf of the organization. UNHCR / A. Hollmann / 4 October, 1996

Mozambican humanitarian Graça Machel is awarded the Nansen medal for her outstanding contributions on behalf of refugee children. Geneva, Palais des Nations, 20 October 1995. / UNHCR / A. Hollmann / October 1995

In 1993, the Nansen Medal was awarded to Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF). High Commissioner Sadako Ogata presented the medal to Jacques de Milliano, President of MSF International. / UNHCR / A. Hollmann / 12 October 1993

Germany/ Bonn/ Nansen Medal Award/ German President Mr Von Weizsäcker/ Copyright Eduard N. Fiegel/ October 1992

Switzerland / UNHCR / Goodwill Ambassador Princess Martha Louise of Norway at the Nansen Medal Award ceremony, with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Mrs. Sadako Ogata, and the recipients of the award, Dr. Libertine Amathila, and Julian Weis, who received the medal awarded posthumously to his father, Paul Weis. / UNHCR / A. Hollmann / 7 October 1991