Amed Khan
Amed Khan is a human rights advocate, humanitarian leader, and philanthropist with more than two decades of experience working in war zones and humanitarian emergencies around the world. His work focuses on civilian protection, refugee support, medical access, and direct relief efforts in areas affected by war and displacement. Throughout his career, he has also sought to draw attention to the human costs of wars of choice, particularly their impact on civilians and the unnecessary mass displacement they create.
Following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Amed led large-scale efforts to evacuate vulnerable women leaders, human rights defenders, and individuals who worked for the U.S. government from Afghanistan. His team successfully coordinated evacuations for more than 1,500 Afghan evacuees and helped provide emergency housing, food, medical care, legal services, and long-term resettlement support.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Amed has worked extensively on the ground in Ukraine, supporting relief efforts, refugee evacuations, and frontline civilian aid operations. His work has included delivering emergency aid, supporting medical relief networks, evacuating Holocaust survivors, and raising international awareness of the consequences of the war.
Additionally, Amed helped rebuild churches and homes in Christian villages in Iraq that were destroyed by ISIS.
Most recently, Amed has led initiatives supporting civilians affected by the war in Gaza, including efforts focused on emergency relief, medical access, and evacuation support for critically ill and injured children. His work has also included helping deliver food aid and Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to malnourished children in Gaza, alongside broader efforts to expand access to urgent medical care for families affected by the war.
Amed also supports efforts to elevate public awareness of global humanitarian crises through media, advocacy, and creative initiatives. He served as Executive Producer of The Voice of Hind Rajab, the Academy Award-nominated feature film that brought global attention to the story of Hind Rajab and the human impact of the war in Gaza.
Amed is the founder of Elpida Home, an innovative nonprofit based in Thessaloniki, Greece, that helps refugees access humane international protection and essential services.
Amed's humanitarian leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including the 2025 DAWN Integrity Award, the 2024 Luminary Award from the Wisconsin Alumni Association, the 2023 Global Women's Rights Award from the Feminist Majority Foundation, the 2022 Pursuit of Justice Award from the California Women's Law Center, the 2022 James Parks Morton Interfaith Award from the Interfaith Center of NY, and the 2022 Gabby Award from the Greek America Foundation.
Earlier in his career, Amed held several positions within the United States government, including roles at the White House, the State Department, and the Peace Corps. In 1997, he served as Director of Operations for the G-7 Summit of Industrialized Nations.
Amed also served as Chief Administrator and Logistician for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Tanzania, overseeing refugee camp administration and financial management along the Rwanda-Tanzania border in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide.
He previously served on the Board of Directors of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, and the Board of Visitors for the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Political Science.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Amed lives in New York.
