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CloseThe world is seeing the greatest displacement of peoples for over half a century. Millions are fleeing from war, persecution and poverty. The proliferation of crises and needs is extraordinary as are the dramatic humanitarian consequences. In these desperate situations, fleeing families are at the mercy of unscrupulous traffickers and the perils of the journey to what they hope will be freedom and a new life.
The Order of Malta is present along this journey – in countries of origin, at the borders through which thousands pass, and in host countries and final destinations – assisting refugees, internally displaced persons and migrants in approximately 30 countries across the globe. Refugees fleeing Syria are met at the Malteser International field hospital in Kilis on the Turkish border.
The hospital has 100 beds and is equipped for emergency surgery. Thanks to its cooperation with local partners, Malteser International supports nine healthcare centres including three mobile clinics in the Aleppo region in Syria.
In northern Iraq, Malteser International has launched a programme for the reintegration of refugees in their countries of origin, including many persecuted minorities such as the Yazidi. The project also involves the reconstruction of infrastructure and support for training and educational courses. In central Iraq, medical teams provide healthcare and dental services to displaced persons.
Since 2008 the doctors and rescuers of the Order of Malta’s Italian Relief Corps have been present on Italian vessels operating in the Mediterranean Sea, assisting some 200,000 migrants attempting the crossing on makeshift boats. These are medical teams specialised in emergency medicine.
In various European countries, the Order of Malta is developing legal, psychosocial and medical assistance programmes for migrants and asylum seekers. There are also specific courses to aid integration and knowledge of the local culture and language.
02/08/2011
Another dramatic landing on Lampedusa, the island in the Mediterranean Sea that is the southern most point of Italy. On the night of 1 August, some three hundred migrants from Libya, including 18 children and 27 women, arrived on a 15-metre boat. During the disembarkation operations, the Italian coast guards and Order of Malta Italian […]
26/03/2011
There is mounting concern about the humanitarian situation on Lampedusa as more and more boats loaded with North African immigrants land on the island. 26 women, including six who are pregnant, and ten children aged between 20 months and seven years were crowded into an ageing vessel without food or water. They are refugees from […]
26/02/2011
Twenty years of voluntary service spent helping the needy. Twenty years ago the Order of Malta’s Relief Corps in Romania was founded in 1991. Now the Serviciul de Ajutor Maltez în România (SAMR) has 23 delegations, 1,500 volunteers and hundreds of public and private supporters. Thousands of people benefit from its hundred welfare programmes, including […]
Map indicates capital cities of countries where the Order of Malta runs medical, social, or humanitarian projects
Magistral Palace, Via Condotti, 68 Rome - Italy
Tel. +39.06.67581.1 | [email protected]
