The Grand Chancellor of the Order of Malta, Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo, was a guest of the Ambassadors of the European Union during a meeting at the delegation’s headquarters in Villa Europa.
The occasion provided an opportunity to take stock and outline the future prospects for the Order’s diplomatic and humanitarian action on the continent and in major international humanitarian crisis scenarios, starting with Ukraine. Thirty-five years after the Order of Malta began its presence in the country, its emergency response is the largest relief program since World War II, with over four million people receiving food assistance, medicines and prosthetic devices, with psychological support for thousands of children.
In the Middle East, food distribution and medical care continues in multiple humanitarian crises in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. In this quadrant, the role of the Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem, a point of reference in the region for premature births and neonatal care, is central. In the Gaza Strip, through Malteser International and in cooperation with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, some 200 tonnes of food aid have been distributed and two first-aid clinics have been set up in Gaza City and Deir al-Balah, soon to be operational.
The Order also provides humanitarian aid inside European borders, where projects focus on tackling poverty and social marginalisation. Among the most significant initiatives are ships to shelter the homeless in France, treatment centres for addicts in Germany, integration programmes for Roma communities and food support in Spain, where the Madrid community alone provided over 220,000 meals last year.
Finally, faced with the increase in extreme weather phenomena, the Order’s relief corps network – including the Italian CISOM, also active in Europe with the PPRD East 4 programme – has shown great coordination and intervention capability during the dramatic floods that hit Germany in 2021, the Valencia region in 2024 and recent events in Slovenia, Poland and Romania.
The meeting concluded with the hope that the synergy with European countries would be constantly renewed, reaffirming the Order of Malta as a neutral partner, dedicated to safeguarding human dignity in any crisis scenario.
