In Hodeidah Province, Yemen, Amin Juberan, president and founder of the Gil Albena Humanitarian Development Association, talks with a displaced person. © UNHCR/Abdulhakeem Obadi
The winner of the 2021 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award (Global) is a humanitarian organization from Yemen that has saved the lives of tens of thousands of people who have been forcibly displaced due to local conflicts.
Founded in 2017, the Jeel Albena Association for Humanitarian Development (Jeel Albena Association for Humanitarian Development), even though the war has burned to the gate of the Association, facing gunfire and bomb attacks, they still unswervingly help displaced Yemenis , Therefore won this honor. The 37-year-old founder Ameen Jubran (Ameen Jubran) himself was forced to be displaced by the conflict and nearly died.
“The area where we work is regarded as one of the poorest and most dangerous,” Juberland said. “We feel danger every day. Nevertheless, the displaced and others need our help. We cannot ignore it. , Do not provide assistance to them.”
Yemen is facing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Gil Albena’s award draws attention to people who have been forcibly displaced by the conflict in the country. The four million people who fled their homes urgently need protection and assistance, but conflicts and people’s suffering are often ignored.
Gil Albena has more than 160 employees and 230 volunteers, many of whom are themselves displaced. The organization is located in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. It provides jobs and about 18,000 emergency shelters for internally displaced persons who have no official residences in Hodeidah and Hajj provinces.
The organization also helped displaced women achieve independence and renovated schools to benefit local communities and displaced people.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Philippe Grandi said of Juberland: “You and your team have carried out extraordinary work and persisted in helping all kinds of Yemenis. This is a model of humanity, compassion and dedication.”
The award also highlights the outstanding work done by many local NGOs in Yemen.
The UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award recognizes individuals, groups or organizations that go beyond their responsibilities to protect refugees, displaced persons and stateless persons. The award was established in 1954 and has produced more than 60 global award winners from different countries.
More than 200 candidates or organizations have been nominated for this year’s Nansen Refugee Award. In addition to the global winners, there are also 5 regional winners:
- The 33-year-old Jorge Santiago Ávila Corrales is a social worker and head of the “Youth Anti-Violence Organization” in Honduras. He is committed to challenging the gang violence that has poisoned many Honduran teenagers. This courage and dedication earned him the Americas Regional Award.
- A 29-year-old doctor, Saleema Rehman, lives and practices medicine in Pakistan. As a medical staff, she came forward during the new crown epidemic and promoted girls’ education. She was awarded the Asian Regional Award in recognition of her courage and dedication.
- 32-year-old Nikola Kovačević is an independent human rights lawyer in Serbia. Won the European Regional Award for advocating the protection of the rights of refugees and asylum seekers in the Balkans.
- There are also two winners from the African region: 55-year-old Roukiatou Maiga from Burkina Faso, who continues to appeal for internally displaced persons and assists with aid work; and the same from Chief Diambendi Madiega (Diambendi Madiega) of Burkina Faso, who won the award for advocating for the protection of the rights of internally displaced persons and providing refuge for them.
Juberland will accept the award on behalf of the team at an online ceremony to be held on October 4, 2021. The prizes include a commemorative medal and a cash prize of $150,000. The award ceremony will also recognize five regional winners.
The Nansen Refugee Award was established in 1954 to commemorate Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian scientist, polar explorer, diplomat, and the first High Commissioner for Refugees of the League of Nations.
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