2025 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Awards: Celebrating humanitarian leadership

When violence in the Central African Republic forced tens of thousands of people to flee across the border into Cameroon, Chief Martin Azia Sodea was faced with a defining choice – one that would transform not only his village, but the lives of thousands seeking safety.

His extraordinary leadership has been recognised through the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Awards, which honour exceptional support for refugees and displaced communities.

A village chief who chose welcome over exclusion

Chief Martin Azia Sodea stands facing the camera with his arms folded, in his village of Gado-Badzéré, Cameroon. He is wearing a brighlty patterned orange and yellow shirt and holding a metal staff.

Chief Martin Azia Sodea, the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award’s 2025 Global Laureate, in his village of Gado-Badzéré, Cameroon.

As the traditional leader of Gado-Badzéré, a rural village in Cameroon’s East Region, Chief Sodea could have closed his community’s doors as refugees arrived with little more than what they could carry.

Instead, he worked with local residents to offer land, shelter and opportunity – ensuring families fleeing conflict could begin rebuilding their lives with dignity.

Over time, this approach transformed Gado-Badzéré into a place of refuge for around 36,000 people – more than twice the size of the host population. What might have become a source of strain instead became a model of peaceful coexistence, built on cooperation and mutual respect.

For this leadership, Chief Sodea has been named the 2025 Global Laureate of the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award, recognising not only his personal commitment but also the generosity of a community that chose solidarity over exclusion.

Along with the Nansen Medal, the award includes a USD$100,000 prize to support further humanitarian and community-based initiatives, highlighting the powerful role local leadership can play in shaping inclusive responses to displacement.

Regional winners making a difference around the world

Alongside the global laureate, four regional winners were also recognised, reflecting the diverse ways individuals and organisations are supporting displaced people across continents.

In the Americas, Mexican business leader Pablo Moreno Cadena was honoured for demonstrating how the private sector can be a force for inclusion. His advocacy has created stable employment opportunities for refugees, helping families regain independence while contributing meaningfully to their new communities.

In the Middle East and North Africa, aid worker and women’s rights advocate Taban Shoresh was recognised for her long-standing commitment to supporting displaced women and girls. Drawing on her own experience of displacement, she has helped create safe spaces that provide education, psychosocial support, and pathways to economic independence for survivors of conflict.

In the Asia-Pacific, Negara Nazari, herself a former refugee, was honoured for co-founding an education centre in Tajikistan that now supports more than a thousand students. What began as a small initiative has grown into a vital learning hub, empowering refugee children and women through education.

In Europe, the Ukrainian humanitarian organisation Proliska was recognised for its work delivering life-saving assistance in dangerous areas affected by the war – often reaching those who would otherwise be left behind. Despite ongoing insecurity, its teams continue to help people evacuate and find safety, food and essential care.

About the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Awards

Established in 1954, the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Awards honour individuals, groups and organisations who go beyond what is expected – often in the most challenging circumstances – to protect refugees, internally displaced people and stateless communities.

Named after Norwegian humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Fridtjof Nansen, the awards recognise that meaningful change often begins at a local level, through acts of courage, generosity and solidarity. At a time when record numbers of people worldwide are displaced by conflict, persecution and climate-related crises, the Nansen Awards send a clear message: compassion remains alive, and individual choices still matter.