Mariam Al Hammadi: Across ten editions, SIARA has brought greater recognition to organisations turning humanitarian response into lasting opportunity
- Five countries account for 52 per cent of total nominations, while the remaining half spans 52 countries across five continents
- Africa and Asia contribute more than 96 per cent of the total, maintaining SIARA’s strong reach across regions central to its humanitarian mandate
- The 10th recipient will join nine organisations whose work spans protection, education, social inclusion, employment, clean energy and digital access
- The winning organisation will be announced and honoured as SIARA’s 10th recipient during the award ceremony on 25 November 2026
The Sharjah International Award for Refugee Advocacy and Support (SIARA) has received 736 nominations from 57 countries for its 10th edition, bringing together humanitarian experience from across five continents as the award advances through its final selection stages.
Organised by The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) in collaboration with UNHCR, SIARA will award AED 500,000—approximately USD 136,000—to an organisation demonstrating tangible and sustainable impact in the lives of refugees and displaced communities. As SIARA reaches its 10th edition, the selected organisation will join nine previous recipients recognised for approaches that have strengthened protection, inclusion, opportunity and long-term resilience for displaced communities.
Africa and Asia contribute more than 96 per cent of nominations
Africa led participation with 465 nominations, followed by Asia with 244. Together, the two regions contributed 709 nominations, representing more than 96 per cent of the total. North America recorded 17 nominations, Europe nine and Oceania one.
Nigeria ranked first with 113 nominations, followed by Uganda with 95, Kenya with 70, Pakistan with 61 and Afghanistan with 43. These five countries accounted for 382 nominations, or nearly 52 per cent of all submissions, while the remaining 354 came from 52 other countries.
This distribution gives the 10th edition strong representation from countries closely connected to major displacement crises, alongside a wider range of humanitarian approaches from around the world. It also reflects SIARA’s focus on non-profit organisations operating across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, with grassroots and locally established organisations encouraged to participate.
H.E. Mariam Al Hammadi: SIARA’s 10th edition builds on a legacy of recognising humanitarian action with lasting impact
Commenting on the results, H.E. Mariam Al Hammadi, Advisory Board Member of The Big Heart Foundation, said: “Since SIARA was launched in 2017, every edition has introduced us to organisations that demonstrate what it means to champion humanity in some of the world’s most difficult circumstances. Working closely with displaced communities, often with limited resources and little international visibility, they are finding practical ways to restore safety, dignity, belonging and opportunity. Across nine recipients, we have seen that humanitarian action can take many forms — from protection, education and healthcare to employment, clean energy, digital access and community spaces — but what connects them is their ability to turn an immediate response into wider and more lasting change.”
She added: “As SIARA reaches its 10th edition, we are looking for the next organisation whose work is rooted in the realities of displaced communities and enables people to rebuild their lives with greater agency and independence. At a time when humanitarian resources are under increasing pressure, SIARA’s recognition and visibility can help proven organisations attract the support they need to extend their reach.”
Nine winners reflect a wider measure of humanitarian impact
The 2026 winner will join nine previous recipients whose work spans three connected dimensions of refugee support: safety and recovery, belonging and inclusion, and economic agency.
Yemen’s Sustainable Development Foundation, Malaysia’s Dignity for Children Foundation, Lebanon’s Amel Association International and Kenya’s RefuSHE were recognised for providing education, healthcare, protection, shelter, livelihoods and psychosocial support. Malawi’s Tumaini Letu and Jordan’s 7Hills for Social Development strengthened belonging through culture and community participation, while Talent Beyond Boundaries, Nigeria’s LightEd Impact Foundation and Konexio Africa created pathways to employment through skilled migration, clean energy and digital skills.
Together, their work reflects SIARA’s evolving view of humanitarian impact: from immediate protection and essential services to enabling displaced people to participate, earn an income and regain greater control over their futures.
Selection proceeds as humanitarian resources contract
The evaluation is taking place as 117.8 million people remain forcibly displaced worldwide—equivalent to one in every 70 people—according to UNHCR’s latest Global Trends Report.
Around 70 per cent of refugees are living in protracted situations, having remained in displacement for five years or more, where the challenge extends beyond immediate safety to securing education, healthcare, employment and a stable place within society.
Humanitarian resources are also under pressure. UNHCR received 24 per cent less funding in 2025 than in 2024. It assisted 30.7 million forcibly displaced and stateless people during the year, 16 per cent fewer than previously.
A 10th recipient joins SIARA’s humanitarian legacy
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of The Big Heart Foundation and UNHCR Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children, the selection of the 2026 winner will mark SIARA’s 10th recipient since the award was launched in 2017.
The annual AED 500,000 prize is fully funded by TBHF and does not draw on public donations received by the Foundation. It provides the recipient with financial support to strengthen its work, alongside international recognition and a platform to share its approach with a wider humanitarian audience.
Nominations opened on 12 November 2025 and closed on 13 February 2026. Submissions are assessed through a multi-stage process involving TBHF, UNHCR and experts from humanitarian work, academia, philanthropy and the private sector.
The evaluation considers tangible impact, the significance of the gaps addressed, gender sensitivity, sustainability, the organisation’s record of developing practical solutions and the potential effect of the award on its future work.
The winning organisation will be announced and honoured as SIARA’s 10th recipient during the award ceremony on 25 November 2026.
For more information, please visit: https://tbhf.ae/sharjah-international-award/