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IsraAID COO Wins Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award

A leader of the Israeli disaster relief organization IsraAID will be presented with the annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award next month in recognition of the group’s work aiding people affected by natural disasters and other emergencies around the world.

IsraAID chief operation officer Navonel Glick will be one of six under-30 recipients of the award to be presented September 17.

Founded in 2001, IsraAID has become renowned for its emergency response work. It was the first international team to reach Haiti following the devastating 2010 earthquake there. It has been present after disasters in Japan, South Sudan, the Philippines, and in the United States, such as the aftermaths of Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, floods in Colorado, and a tornado in Arkansas.

In recent years, IsraAID has focused on providing medical and psychological assistance to Syrian refugees who have arrived in Europe after risking their lives traveling by sea. Nathan Jeffay documented IsraAID’s efforts to help Syrian refugees in Greece in a Tower Magazine article published last November.

Glick, a Canadian-Israeli, manages IsraAID’s daily operations from its Tel Aviv office. He has also participated in the organization’s efforts in the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Iraq, and Nepal.

This will be the first award ceremony following the death of Ali, who passed away in June at the age of 74 after suffering for years from Parkinson’s disease. He was well-known for his charity work, and had been honored by many institutions, including Amnesty International and the United Nations. President George W. Bush presented Ali with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.

Glick appeared at the 2016 AIPAC Policy Conference to highlight the work IsraAID does with Syrian refugees.

[Photo: AIPAC / YouTube ]