Nine years have passed since August the 25th 2014, when, for the first time in history, a private Search and Rescue initiative sailed into the central Mediterranean Sea to rescue migrants who risked losing their lives during their desperate attempt to reach Europe.
MOAS was founded the year before, exactly ten years ago, when, following the terrible shipwreck in Lampedusa, Christopher, with the support of his family, Regina and Maria Luisa, decided to use their resources and talents to prevent the loss of more lives at sea. 40,000 children, women, and men have since been rescued by MOAS in the Central Mediterranean and the Aegean between 2014 and 2017.
10 years later, unfortunately, not much has changed. People are still dying in the Mediterranean and the migration issue continues to be tackled through emergency policies, externalizing EU borders to neighboring states.
In recent years, we did not give up on our campaign, together with all of you, for the implementation of Safe and Legal Routes that would allow peril free migration corridors and avoid leaving migrants in the hands of human traffickers.
Thanks to all of you, we have also turned our gaze to other areas of the globe. We have cared for 90,000 Rohingya refugee children, women, men, and members of the local population in our Aid Stations in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. With the support and coordination of international organisations on the ground and local partners, we provided more than 6,000 volunteers with water safety training and equipment, so that people are prepared to curb any further drowning when flooding occurs within the refugee camps as well as the provision of fire safety and prevention courses to more than 2,000 volunteers. Together, we have been able to deliver life-saving therapeutic food and malnutrition drugs to vulnerable children in Yemen and Somalia.
From February 2022 until today, we have never stopped in Ukraine, where our medical teams continue to be on the frontlines treating and saving people injured by the violence inflicted by the conflict through our Mobile Medical teams, ambulances, and Mobile Medical Units.
In these years together, we have done a lot for migrants and refugees living in Malta, providing assistance for the challenges they face in their daily lives, big or small, through various projects ranging from educational initiatives to integration and hospital care.
In recent months, the intensification of armed clashes in Sudan has exacerbated the suffering of millions of people already affected by drought, extreme weather events, and famine. Access to essential services and humanitarian aid has become even more difficult for vulnerable populations living in conflict-affected regions and for internally displaced persons. This is why MOAS has launched its first humanitarian mission in Sudan, which aims to alleviate the repercussions of this devastating conflict and address the primary, medical, and nutritional needs of the population. Together, once again, we can make a difference.
Thanks to our team, donors, and supporters, in these nine years we have taken care of the most vulnerable people. We have become one big family helping other families. But there is still a long way to go to bring hope to those who need it most. We hope to continue on this journey together with you.