News Center- Yemeni activist Asia al-Mashreqi has been announced as the 2023 Regional Winner for the Middle East and North Africa of the 2023 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award for her exceptional commitment to supporting refugees and internally displaced people.

Asia Al-Mashreqi has been working with refugees since the establishment of the Sustainable Development Foundation (SDF), which she co-founded along with four other women in 2015 following the outbreak of conflict in Yemen in 2014. Under her leadership, the organization has launched diverse programs giving displaced people access to health care, education, food, shelter and other vital services.

As a female humanitarian leader, she has broken barriers and set an example for gender equality and empowerment.

Established in 1954, the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award is annually presented to an individual, group or organization who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to protect or assist forcibly displaced or stateless people. Since 2017, UNHCR has also recognized several regional winners each year.