New York, NY, November 5, 2026 — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) will honor Dr. Atul Gawande with the IRC’s Freedom Award and the LEGO Foundation with the IRC’s John C. Whitehead Humanitarian Award.
Dr. Atul Gawande is a renowned surgeon, author, and researcher, whose innovations and advocacy in public health have expanded access to safe, dignified medical care for the world's most vulnerable. He is a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and previously led Global Health at USAID from 2022 to 2025. A dedicated humanitarian, Dr. Gawande founded Ariadne Labs, a joint center for health systems innovation, and Lifebox, an organization making surgery safer globally. He is a longtime writer for The New Yorker, a New York Times bestselling author, and an executive producer of three documentary films–the latest of which, Rovina’s Choice, highlighted the devastating impact of global aid cuts on IRC’s malnutrition treatment centers in Kenya. His next documentary, Chainsaw: The Destruction of USAID, will premiere in 2027, on the changes to the global health system after the dismantling of USAID.
“From the operating room to the halls of government, Dr. Gawande has dedicated his career to making sure people everywhere get the healthcare they need, with passion, compassion and a deep belief in our shared humanity,” President and CEO of the IRC David Miliband said. “He has advocated for and helped shape health outcomes for the most vulnerable, whether for communities across the United States or across the world’s worst humanitarian crises. In an era of shrinking aid and expanding crises, his voice matters more than ever before. There could be no better recipient of this year’s Freedom Award.”
The LEGO Foundation is a Danish corporate foundation working with partners around the world to support children’s needs and champion the dignity of childhood over the past 40 years. Since 2019, their sustained commitment has been foundational to some of the IRC’s most innovative and evidence-driven programming—bringing play-based learning to young children affected by conflict and disaster. Their latest investment of $97M earlier this year continues this work to ensure more than five million children affected by crisis across East Africa and the Middle East receive consistent support from before birth through early schooling, allowing them to learn, develop, and thrive.
“The LEGO Foundation is a trailblazer and innovator in the humanitarian space- unwavering in its commitment to helping all children learn, thrive, and grow, including the millions caught in crisis who are so often left behind,” said Miliband. “This mission and commitment to creating the space for learning and play for those who need it most embodies the exact visionary, humanitarian spirit that the Whitehead Award was created to honor.”
The IRC Freedom Award is awarded annually to individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions in support of the global refugee crisis and saving and improving the lives of the most vulnerable populations around the world. Past awardees include: Winston Churchill, Kofi Annan, Elie Wiesel, Lynsey Addario, Amartya Sen and Dr. Denis Mukwege.
The John C. Whitehead Humanitarian Award was created in recognition of the half-century of transformational leadership and support that John, our longest-serving board member and Chairman Emeritus, dedicated to the IRC. The Whitehead Award is presented to individuals and organizations whose sustained commitment embodies John’s spirit and passion for humanitarian causes, and who have made significant contributions to saving and improving lives around the world. Established in February 2015, the award honors the value of civic engagement and memorializes John Whitehead’s lifelong commitment to humanity through selfless, courageous, creative and compassionate acts.
