2022 has just began and it is time to explore MOAS’ operations and projects around the world for the year ahead. While 2021 was a challenging, but productive and successful year, we hope to expand our operations to reach more of the most vulnerable communities around the world. Below you’ll find an overview of each project we hope to continue into this year, including some new exciting projects:
Flood and Water Safety
We will continue to support local partners in providing unique and innovative Flood and Water Safety training. MOAS’ team will provide their expertise to local partners in training and providing equipment to both Safety Unit Volunteers (SUVs) from the refugee community and Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPPs) volunteers from the local host community. This training will help build resilience against water related risks but allow space for self-development, by providing volunteers will skills and innovative equipment but also by improving leadership and teamwork. These programs will continue to provide livelihoods to local tailors who make our safety equipment and receive up-skilling as part of the project.
Fire Safety
In 2021, there was an increase in the frequency and severity of fire outbreaks in crowded refugee camps, in response to this our team supported the development of a unique Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) project for Fire Safety and Response. The project focuses on 3 elements; risk mapping, training in first response and the prototyping and manufacture of firefighting equipment.
The risk mapping model will allow our technical experts to advise camp management and other stakeholders on areas of particular risk and develop response strategies according to each context, while the training also provides first response skills and strategy implementation techniques to community based volunteers. Finally, the team has prototyped several camp-context specific pieces of equipment, including fire-fighting tuktuks and backpacks, which will be produced and distributed this year across several projects.
Yemen and Somalia
MOAS will continue to provide pharmaceutical care and specialist malnutrition treatment to vulnerable children in Yemen and Somalia. In these countries, crippled by political crisis exacerbated by COVID and environmental pressures, food insecurity is at an all-time high with famine, drought and malnutrition putting millions of lives at risk. With the ongoing support of partners Edesia, ADRA and IMC, we will distribute over medicine and ready to use therapeutic foods to children on the brink of starvation.
In 2021, we established a brand-new partnership with Action For Humanity, with their partnership this year, we will be delivering nutritional aid to hospitals in the Raqqa region in Syria for communities currently unserved by such services who are in desperate need. We have already began the process for the delivery of 1 Plumpy Nut container, which is a therapeutic food. With your help we will continue to get this life-saving aid to those who need it most.
Malta
In Malta, MOAS is committed to supporting the migrant and refugee communities present on the island by providing assistance for challenges they might face in their daily life, whether big or small. In doing so we run several different projects that range from education initiatives to sport and English language classes.
This year we are opening an accessible and inclusive educational facility at a local Migrant Open Centre in Hal Far, Malta which will act as a safe space for learning and self-development. This project sees MOAS establishing multifunctional learning spaces that will be equipped with educational resources such as computers, books and other learning tools and be used by the center’s residents for formal education, training activities such as language classes, quiet study, and essential tasks such as CV writing, job hunting and registering for online services.
We will also be running our second-year cycle of the Family Hosting Project, through this project we aim to facilitate long-term integration and inclusion, and support the development and independence of participants. Welcoming a refugee to a family home can begin to open new dialogues, generate inclusivity and overcome prejudices.
For asylum seekers and migrants, being part of a shared home can be such an important step in establishing full autonomy and independence. This project was a success last year, it received immense support from the Maltese population and many more families contacted the organization to participate in this ‘long-term life initiative’ this year.
Advocacy
MOAS will continue to advocate for the implementation of #SafeAndLegalRoutes of migration.
The MOAS team will be engaging with positive testimonials of how #SafeAndLegalRoutes have helped migrants and asylum seekers to integrate in their destination countries and communities, as a positive call to action. And we will be exploring the different routes available which need to be expanded on by the international community.
We believe our greatest achievements lie in the depth and breadth of support we have provided our beneficiaries. We continue to be dedicated to working towards a world where all people are treated with dignity and respect, through our logistical expertise we are able to both rapidly respond to emerging crises as well as provide longer-term social assistance to mitigate the suffering of people forced to risk their lives to reach safety. As we look forward this year, we will continue to provide our logistical expertise and rapidly respond to emerging crises.
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.
