Dear John,

We’re delighted to announce that the winner of this year’s UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award is Mayerlín Vergara Pérez, a human rights activist, campaigner and coordinator from Colombia.

The awards honour individuals, groups and organisations that go above and beyond to protect refugees, displaced and stateless people. Mayerlín was selected from more than 200 nominees to win the top award of laureate due of her work helping children and adolescents to heal after sexual exploitation.

For decades, Mayerlín has run a rehabilitation centre for young survivors of sexual violence, trafficking and exploitation. The centre is based in Roihacha, an area near the Colombia’s border, which has seen a spike in exploitation of young people due to the ongoing political, human-rights and socio-economic crisis in Venezuela.

When people flee conflict and persecution, UNHCR is there to provide protection from exploitation. With your support we can continue to protect young refugees and help prevent trafficking, alongside the work of heroes like Mayerlín.

Your generosity keeps us going. Thank you.


Breno Valentini
International Supporter Care
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

P.S. Did you know that the Nansen Awards are named after Norwegian scientist, polar explorer, diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner Fridtjof Nansen? Learn more about this amazing man, and how he became the first High Commissioner for Refugees for the League of Nations, here.