HELSINKI, Finland – Direct Relief was honored with the prestigious Partners in Development Award at the 2025 International Council of Nurses Congress on June 13, in recognition of its commitment to advancing global nursing and humanitarian response. Only nine other organizations have received the award in ICN’s 125-year history.
“Direct Relief is deeply honored to receive the Partners in Development Award from the International Council of Nurses,” said Dr. Byron Scott, Direct Relief President and COO. “Nurses are the backbone of health systems worldwide and are especially critical during times of conflict and crisis. Supporting their safety, well-being, and ability to serve is fundamental to effective humanitarian action.”
“We are incredibly grateful to Direct Relief for this generous donation and for their ongoing partnership. This support comes at a time when nurses in conflict zones are experiencing unprecedented challenges,” said Howard Catton, ICN Chief Executive Officer. “Direct Relief’s commitment is not only a recognition of their courage, but a concrete action that will help sustain critical care in areas where it is most desperately needed.”
The acknowledgment was met with Direct Relief’s announcement of a new $100,000 commitment to ICN’s Nurses for Peace program, which supports national nursing associations in conflict-affected countries. The program helps ensure that nurses working in dangerous, unstable environments have the resources and backing needed to continue providing essential care to those in need.
“Through the Nurses for Peace program, ICN is providing a lifeline for nurses working in the most difficult environments imaginable,” said Dan Hovey, Vice President of Emergency Response. “Direct Relief is committed to standing with them and to investing in the leadership, resilience, and care that nurses bring to communities in crisis.”
Direct Relief’s support for the Nurses for Peace program aligns with its core emergency response strategy: working through local health providers to ensure that aid is fast, appropriate, and effective. Nurses’ local insight and clinical expertise are essential to achieving that goal.
Direct Relief’s President and COO Dr. Byron Scott, Chief Pharmacy Officer Alycia Clark, and Vice President of Emergency Response Dan Hovey represented the organization at the Congress, which brought together more than 6,500 nurses from around the world. During their visit, the delegation met with ICN leadership and representatives from national nursing associations to explore future collaboration opportunities focused on emergency response and frontline support.
This latest support builds on the partnership established in 2023 between Direct Relief and ICN, designed to strengthen humanitarian response through local nursing expertise. That collaboration included the appointment of an ICN Humanitarian Liaison Officer tasked with connecting ICN’s expansive global network of national nursing associations with Direct Relief’s logistics and supply operations.
