MOAS delivers aid shipment to Yemen to combat child malnutrition

1st August 2019

MOAS is proud to announce that, with the support of our donors and partners, we have shipped 27 tonnes of vital nutrition supplements to the port of Aden, in Yemen.

These supplies have been provided by our partner Edesia, a US-based nutrition company which manufactures calorie-dense sachets specifically formulated for paediatric malnutrition refeeding programmes. This shipment has been generously sponsored by long-time MOAS supporters Ed and Barbara Shapiro, and by the Ruth and Hal Launders Charitable Trust.

The supplies that have now arrived in Aden are Nutriset’s Plumpy Doz packs. Plumpy Doz is a preventative nutrient supplement for children six months or older who are at risk of developing acute malnutrition, and can be used alongside ordinary foods. Each 50g Plumpy Doz sachet contains the essential nutrients required to prevent malnutrition in children whose diets are not meeting their calorie and protein needs.

These sachets are extremely effective in supporting normal growth and healthy development in children, as well as saving vulnerable lives. Our supplies will allow parents to support their children’s rehabilitation at home, rather than in hospitals or clinics which are increasingly dangerous and difficult to access.

Our shipment will now be distributed through the health cluster and nutrition pipeline by ADRA, our operational partner in Yemen. In the last three years, over 85,000 children under the age of five have died from acute malnutrition. With two million children under five acutely malnourished, we expect this delivery to have an immediate and life-saving impact.

Regina Catrambone, MOAS co-founder and director, says: “We are delighted with the success of our latest operation. Since MOAS was launched in 2014, our mission has been to alleviate suffering for the world’s most vulnerable communities, so we could not stand by while the Yemeni people face one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. Once again, MOAS has proven its capacity for agile, innovative disaster-response programming, keeping hope alive where it is needed the most.”

Following this successful operation, MOAS is expecting a second delivery of pharmaceutical supplies to arrive in Yemen in the coming weeks.

For press enquiries or to find out more, email [email protected] or call Giulia on 0039 388 659 4526. 

About MOAS

Founded by the Catrambone family in response to a shipwreck off the Italian island of Lampedusa that killed 368 people in October 2013, MOAS aims to provide a model for the engagement of civil society in tackling humanitarian crises around the world.

Upon launching its first mission in August 2014, MOAS was the first non-governmental organisation to run a Search and Rescue operation in the Mediterranean. Over the course of three years at sea, MOAS rescued and assisted more than 40,000 children, women and men in the Central Mediterranean and Aegean.

Having suspended SAR operations in August 2017, MOAS continues to monitor the situation at sea, and to advocate for the creation of safe and legal routes to protect desperate people seeking peace and security. In December 2017, in partnership with UNHCR, we organised an aerial evacuation mission to fly 74 vulnerable individuals out of Libya to safety in Niger.

In September 2017 we shifted our operational focus to Bangladesh, where we delivered 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid to support the government’s response to a massive influx of Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar. Our team in Cox’s Bazar set up two Aid Stations, or primary health centres, to serve the refugee camps of Shamlapur and Unchiprang, as well as the local Bangladeshi communities.

To December 2018, the MOAS Aid Stations provided vital care and medication to over 90,000 patients. In April 2018, following reported sightings of Rohingya attempting to flee Myanmar by boat, we also ran a month-long observation mission in the Andaman Sea, drawing international attention to the need for a coordinated Search and Rescue strategy in the region.

Our mission in Bangladesh is now focused on delivering Flood and Water Safety Training to Rohingya volunteers, empowering refugees to support their own communities in preparing for the dangers of the monsoon season. Meanwhile we have launched a new mission to Yemen, where we are delivering vital pharmaceutical aid and famine relief to alleviate suffering and save lives.

If you are interested in the work of MOAS and our partners, please follow us on social media, sign up to our newsletter and share our content. You can also reach out to us any time via [email protected]. If you want to support our operations, please give what you can at www.moas.eu/donate.

 

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