For selflessly extending a helping hand and sending home lakhs of migrants, helping thousands of stranded students across geographies abroad, providing free education and medical facilities to young children and creating free employment opportunities to the needy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Sonu Sood has been conferred the prestigious SDG Special Humanitarian Action Award by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The award was presented at a virtual ceremony on Monday (September 29, 2020) evening. With this Sonu Sood joins the likes of Angelina Jolie, David Beckham, Leonardo DiCaprio, Emma Watson, Liam Neeson, Cate Blanchett, Antonio Banderas, Nicole Kidman and Priyanka Chopra who have been similarly honoured by different UN bodies.
“This is a rare honour. A UN recognition is very special. I have done whatever little I have done, in my own humble way, for my fellow countrymen without any expectations. However, to be recognized and awarded feels good. I fully support the UNDP in its endeavours to achieve the SDGs by 2030. Planet Earth and mankind will greatly benefit from the implementation of these goals”, said Sonu Sood, on receiving the coveted award.
For Sonu Sood, hitherto used to winning accolades for his acting prowess, the UNDP award underlines the yeoman efforts of the actor in his humanitarian work that has been applauded both nationally, and internationally. It places the Indian actor in a league where few in Bollywood have ever gotten to.
Sonu Sood will, in times ahead, help UNDP in propagating messaging around the SDGs. “This is all straight from the heart,” says the actor.
