Last date for SIARA Award nominations extended
SHARJAH: Submission of nominations to the Sharjah International Award for Refugee Advocacy and Support (SIARA) sixth edition will now be accepted until November 30, 2021, the Sharjah-based global humanitarian charity The Big Heart Foundation has announced.
The number of requests by humanitarian entities have prompted the organisers to extend the submissions deadline to enable more applicants to complete the formalities for the nomination procedure. All nominations for the award should be submited directly on the TBHF website, htps://tbhf.ae/nomination/ .
The annual Dhs500,000 award is bestowed upon an institution and individual working locally across Asia and Africa in recognition of their exceptional humanitarian contributions to alleviate the suffering of refugees and the vulnerable population.
TBHF organises the award in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Unh cr ). thedhs 500,000 award money is a special contribution by TBHF and does not represent any share of the donations made to the foundation.
TBHF’S evaluation of nominees is based on tangible benefits and sustainable impact of humanitarian interventions, scope of work, objectivity, and transparency in service delivery ideology. Innovative practices that boost overall sustainability of programmes and project activities, gender sensitivity in planning and implementation of projects, and demonstrable ability to address humanitarian gaps, especially in emergency situations, are some of the other criteria that are considered while finalising the winner of SIARA.
SIARA embodies the vision of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of TBHF and UNHCR Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children, to recognise key humanitarian contributions in refugeeadvocacy,support,andcommunitybuilding.
Last year, TBHF expanded SIARA’S scope to include the entire African continent in light of its leading contribution to supporting nearly 30 per cent of the world’s refugee population and help raise the standard of humanitarian relief work by boosting its support for Africa. This move has allowed Africa its best representation yet on SIARA’S plaform with 105 nominations from the continent. As for the country-specific nominations, Nigeria tops the list with 42 entries, followed by Lebanon with 16. Kenya and Uganda share the third spot with 14 entries while Jordan and Pakistan have 13 nominations each. Bangladesh has sent nine nominations while India and Palestine have seven nominations each, Yemen and Iraq are represented by six each and Somalia has 5 entries.