Why did the Nansen International Office for Refugees receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1938?

The Nansen International Office for Refugees was awarded the 1938 Nobel Prize for Peace in recognition of its dedicated efforts and its display of worldwide humanitarianism.1

Established by the League of Nations in 1931 to continue the work of Fridtjof Nansen, the office provided both material and administrative assistance to refugees. During its eight-year tenure, the organization intervened in more than 800,000 cases, helping to reduce the number of refugees from over 1,000,000 to fewer than 500,000. Its humanitarian services included providing loans to promote self-help, assisting individuals in securing essential documents like work and residence permits, and protecting refugees from expulsion and other injustices.12