An NGO that launched the first privately-funded migrant search and rescue operation in the Mediterrnean turns 10 this month.
MOAS, or the Migrant Offshore Aid Station, says it has rescued over 200,000 people around the world since it first began operations in August 2014.
Having initially focused on aid missions in the Mediterranean, MOAS has since expanded to provide support in the Aegean Sea, Bangladesh and now Ukraine, where it medically evacuates severely wounded patients from the war’s frontline.
Ten years since MOAS’ inception I look back with admiration at all we have achieved, but I also know that we still have much to do, and we need to continue to forge ahead if we are to have the greatest impact possible in the field,” said founder Christopher Catrambone.“On this our 10th birthday, I wish everyone in the MOAS community well, and encourage everyone to continue to look for ways in which you can help make a difference in the lives of others, whether that happens through partnership with MOAS, or independently”.
MOAS began operating in the Mediterranean with its flagship vessel the Phoenix. It would rescue over 40,000 people from the sea in the ensuing three years. Before long, other NGO-led sea rescue operations were following its lead.
In 2017, the organisation shifted its focus to Bangladesh, where Rohingya refugees were making their way after fleeing Myanmar. MOAS established field clinics in refugee camps and delivered food aid. The NGO says it aided over 90,000 people there and has trained over 12,000 volunteers in Bangladesh to respond to weather emergencies and fire hazards.
The NGO has also delivered food aid and medical supplies to Yemen, Somalia and Sudan.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it shifted to producing and distributing face masks: almost 900,000 masks were distributed in Bangladesh and around 10,000 in Malta.
MOAS' main efforts currently are on the Ukraine war's frontlines. Photo: MOASThe NGO maintains a Malta link through various education and integration projects it runs for migrants and asylum seekers.
Since the Ukraine conflict outbreak in 2022, MOAS has worked with 150 medical professionals and a fleet of 50 ambulances to rescue and treat the war wounded. It says it has saved 45,000 lives and treated over 30,000 patients through its Mobile Medical Unit, in collaboration with Ronald McDonald House Charities Latvia.
The NGO has also launched a book, “Sirens of Hope”, that delves deeper into its Ukraine work as part of a series of activities to commemorate its 10th year in operation.