Meikswe Myanmar, a civil society organization operating in several states and regions in Myanmar, has been chosen as this year’s regional winner of the Nansen Refugee Award in the Asia region. The organization serves a diverse range of vulnerable groups from people living with HIV to internally displaced people and their host communities, said UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, on Tuesday. Meikswe Myanmar has been named a regional winner of the Nansen Refugee Award in recognition of their longstanding commitment to aiding and empowering communities uprooted by conflict, said the UN agency. It also acknowledges their contributions in supporting and building the capacity of local organizations to effectively respond to the needs of displaced populations and host communities. Founded in 2004, Meikswe Myanmar – meaning Friends of Myanmar - implements a range of activities to support internally displaced people, their host communities and other vulnerable groups in close to 300 locations across six states and regions, namely Kayin, Rakhine and Shan States as well as Magway, Mandalay and Yangon Regions. “Our value is the focus on fragile and forgotten communities that are often in hard-to-access areas, as well as minority groups,” said Naw Bway Khu, Meikswe Myanmar’s founder. The award highlights the crucial role of local organizations in responding to growing humanitarian needs in Myanmar. “First responders are often local communities and grassroots organizations. Rapid humanitarian action would not be possible without them”, said Hai Kyung Jun, UNHCR’s Representative in Myanmar. “Humanitarian assistance undertaken by the international aid agencies like UNHCR complements what resourceful local organizations like Meikswe Myanmar are already doing on the ground to help those in need.” Meikswe Myanmar’s programming is centered on long-term, bottom-up philosophies of empowerment and resilience, grounded in community needs. Emphasis is placed on supporting women and girls in particular. “Communities are a fundamental building block of society. If they have strength, knowledge, and systems that enable them to progress, our country can also develop,” said Naw Bway Khu.   The Nansen Refugee Award is an annual award that honours individuals, groups and organizations who go above and beyond the call of duty to protect and assist forcibly displaced and stateless people. It is sponsored by the governments of Norway and Switzerland. This year, the global winner is Angela Merkel. There are also four regional winners, including Meikswe Myanmar in Asia, as well as winners in Africa, the Americas and the Middle East.