Ukrainian NGO Proliska is regional winner of UNHCR’s Nansen Award 2025

10 December 2025, KYIV:

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is delighted to announce that Ukrainian NGO the Humanitarian Mission Proliska is this year’s regional Europe winner of the Nansen Award 2025.

This award is not only a well-deserved recognition of Proliska, their entire staff and vital work – it is also a powerful acknowledgement of the tireless efforts and essential work of civil society across Ukraine. It honors the numerous NGOs, volunteers and communities whose critical contributions continue to shape and strengthen the humanitarian and recovery response during the full-scale war.

In the aftermath of air strikes and shelling, also when it happens at night or in remote areas, Proliska is often among the first to respond, operating alongside state and municipal emergency responders. Proliska has helped to evacuate thousands of people from frontline areas, ensuring that the most vulnerable groups, like older people, persons with disabilities and families with few resources, are not forgotten. And for those unable or unwilling to flee, Proliska’s teams continues to deliver essential aid, like water, medical care, psychosocial support and critical supplies.

“Across Ukraine, civil society and communities are doing indispensable work to support people in need. The courage and dedication of the Proliska team, often working in incredibly difficult and dangerous conditions, has saved countless lives and provided timely and dignified help to displaced people in their hours of greatest needs. Proliska’s work is truly emblematic of what it means to uphold humanity in the midst of a devastating war,” said Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth, UNHCR’s Representative in Ukraine.

Proliska has been UNHCR’s NGO partner since 2016