28th August 2019
MOAS is proud to announce that, with the support of our donors and partners, we have delivered over €130,000 worth of life-saving medical supplies to the port of Aden, in Yemen.
A container ship has delivered our fully-stocked 20-foot container of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment to ADRA, our partner on the ground. A recent report found the Yemeni health system has been devastated by continuous conflict, and approximately 19.7 million people are in desperate need of medical assistance.
Around €72,000 worth of medication and equipment will help to combat maternal deaths: recent UN figures suggest Yemen now holds one of the region’s highest maternal mortality rates, at 385 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Iron and vitamin supplements will help to meet the needs of some seven million Yemenis suffering from iron-deficiency anaemia as a result of malnutrition – roughly 86% of children under five and 71% of pregnant or lactating women.
Our shipment also includes €10,000 worth of cholera intervention treatments, such as oral rehydration salts, anti-diarrheal medication and intravenous fluids. These supplies are crucial at present, as Yemen is experiencing its worst cholera outbreak on record. Since late 2016, more than 1.3 million suspected cholera cases and nearly 2,800 associated deaths have been reported, while up to 350,000 cholera cases are anticipated in 2019.
Supplies will now be distributed by our partners through the established health cluster and nutrition pipeline. This delivery would not have been possible without the generosity of action medeor, Aktion Pro Humanität and the foundation of family Seibt, whom we thank for helping MOAS to keep hope alive where it is needed the most.
For press enquiries, please email [email protected]. To find out more about this mission and how to support our work, please email [email protected].
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.