Yasmeen Lari, a distinguished Pakistani architect, has refused to accept the prestigious Wolf Prize 2025 in architecture, citing the “ongoing genocide” of Palestinians in Gaza as her reason for doing so.

“While I am immensely grateful for this honour, alas, in view of the unfortunate continuing genocide in Gaza, I am not able to accept the award and the prize money even from an ogranisation that is independent of the government,” she said in a letter to organisation.

The Wolf Prize has been awarded annually in Israel since 1978, recognising individuals in various fields, including architecture, for their significant contributions to humanity. The prize is intended to foster “friendly relations among people” through the acknowledgment of outstanding achievements.

In her correspondence with the Wolf Foundation, Lari conveyed her appreciation for the recognition. Butt she emphasised that accepting the award was “out of the question” given the dire circumstances unfolding in Gaza.

Lari is Pakistan’s first female architect, according to a AFP story. She turned her back on a career filled with multimillion-dollar developments in Karachi to create groundbreaking flood-resistant bamboo homes. The initial pilot settlements she has constructed have been successful in protecting families from the devastating monsoon floods that submerged a third of Pakistan last year.

Trained in the UK, Lari is known for her architectural contributions to Karachi, including significant brutalist structures like the Pakistan State Oil headquarters and various upscale residences.

Her innovative approach to leveraging architecture for social impact has earned her recognition from the Royal Institute of British Architects, which awarded her the prestigious 2023 Royal Gold Medal.

“All violence is unacceptable to me on any side of a conflict and I’ve spent much of my life helping refugees, albeit climate migrants, and Gaza is unfortunately now one of the worst situations in terms of displacement,” she said.