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U.S.-based Direct Relief wins Seoul Peace Prize

Published: 18 Feb. 2025, 14:54

In this undated photo, Direct Relief mobilizes medical aid for emergency teams in isolated areas, as well as hospitals and clinics treating evacuees, after Hurricane Dorian slammed the Bahamas with Category 5 winds, causing loss of life, mass displacement, and widespread destruction. [DIRECT RELIEF]

A U.S.-based relief organization has won the Seoul Peace Prize for its longstanding humanitarian work in delivering medical supplies to those impacted by disasters and conflicts, the prize committee announced Tuesday.

The award will be presented to Direct Relief, a nonprofit humanitarian relief organization, committed to providing immediate and direct medical supplies to people affected by natural disasters, wars, diseases and poverty, the Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation said in a press release.

The awarding ceremony will take place in Seoul in the first half of this year.

Founded in 1948, Direct Relief is dedicated to serving people with medical needs and has provided assistance to people in 136 countries worldwide, solely on donations from individuals, companies and organizations without any government support, according to the foundation.

"By promptly and efficiently delivering medical supplies, Direct Relief has not only protected lives and ensured psychological stability, but has also instilled hope for a new beginning," the foundation said.

"It has demonstrated humanitarianism and made a significant contribution to the advancement of human welfare," it added.

The Seoul Peace Prize was established in 1990 in commemoration of the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games to promote peace and cooperation. Its previous laureates include former International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Yonhap