Mit einem Schiff und Drohnen will eine maltesische „NGO“ mit Verbindungen zu US- und EU-Schaltzentralen angeblich auf Flüchtlingsrettung im Mittelmeer gehen. Die „NGO“ entstammt organisatorisch dem Personal der maltesischen Militär- und Geheimdienstspitze mit Einsatzerfahrungen in den jüngsten globalen Kriegen. Die Rettung von Boat-people soll nicht dadurch erfolgen, dass Flüchtlinge an Bord genommen und transportiert werden, sondern allein durch medizinische und „humanitäre“ Hilfe der Flüchtlinge auf ihren meistens seeuntüchtigen Booten. Die „NGO“ unter dem Namen Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ist bislang nicht öffentlich in Erscheinung getreten. Es ist zu befürchten, dass es sich nicht um eine Rettungs-, sondern um eine Push-Back-Initiative der EU und der USA handelt, angesichts zunehmender Flüchtlingsboote in diesen Sommermonaten im Mittelmeer. Ein Filmteam soll die Mission öffentlichkeitswirksam in Szene setzen. – In den letzten Monaten hat die italienische Regierung gefordert, dass die italienisch-militärische Mare-Nostrum-Operation durch Frontex abgelöst wird. Aber die kriminellen Praktiken von Frontex stehen in öffentlicher Kritik. Die Festung Europa bekommt im Kanal von Sizilien gewissermaßen ein Loch – und gerät in diesem Sommer in die Krise.

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Sunday, 29 June 2014, 08:30

A humanitarian organisation that will deploy a 40-metre ship and aerial drones to give assistance to migrants crossing the Mediterranean over the summer months is headed by former AFM commander, Brigadier Ret’d Martin Xuereb.The Migrant Offshore Aid Station MOAS is a non-profit humanitarian project set up by US entrepreneur and humanitarian Christopher Catrambone, the CEO of the Malta based Tangiers Group – a company offering medical and emergency aid, as well as insurance and intelligence services in war-torn and other high risk countries.In late 2013, he founded MOAS after the tragedies of 3 and 11 October near the Italian island of Lampedusa, in which more than 500 people are thought to have drowned. The Malta Independent had closely reported the October 2013 events and pointed out that there were serious discrepancies in the after-action reports presented by the Maltese and Italian authorities.MOAS is, essentially, a team of volunteers who will be setting sail on the newly acquired 40-metre Phoenix 1 expedition ship. They will cruise up and down known migrant sea lanes and offer help – in the form of medical assistance, food and water and lifejackets – to passing migrant boats. The Phoenix will not be transporting migrants to Malta but will be contacting the authorities alerting them of the migrant vessels. Brigadier Xuereb is the leader of the project while Mario Cauchi, another AFM man with over 20 years maritime and Search and Rescue experience, is First Officer. Dr Sapna Sharma is the Medical Coordinator and Aebhric O’Kelly is Chief Paramedic. Film maker Cat Mills will also be accompanying the crew and filming a documentary about the project.The MOAS mission will take place between July and October 2014 and will be coordinated from Malta. The vessel will also make use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles UAVs with thermal and night-time imaging to look out for migrant vessels in distress.Once a migrant vessel is spotted, the team will radio its location to the nearest authorities and MOAS crew members, including an Arabic speaking doctor, will use smaller boats to give assistance to the migrants. The project will rely on donations.

via Former AFM chief to head Migrant Offshore Aid Station – The Malta Independent.

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Dec 21

President of Malta is introduced to our new Migrant Offshore Aid Station

On 12 December I had the honour of meeting the President of Malta to hand over a donation to the Maltese charity event, L-istrina 2013. The event supports the work of charities across Malta, including those who help people with serious illness get the very best treatment available in countries including Britain and Israel.

At the meeting, we discussed my plans to launch the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), a specialist floating aid station which will alleviate the pain and suffering endured by migrants undertaking the perilous journey from North Africa. The President called the initiative a ‘very noble effort’.

I believe we can no longer ignore the issue of migrants travelling through this deadly corridor; thousands of innocent men, women and children displaced by civil and international conflicts, natural disasters, poverty, discrimination, ethnic or sectarian prejudices or by danger to their safety and life; their fate entrusted to heartless smugglers, their only hope a rickety boat.

What we saw off the coast of Lampedusa in October 2013 must never be repeated. Between July and October of 2014, a MOAS crew will sail its 39-metre (130-ft) expedition vessel – Phoenix I – to major migrant shipping lanes and set anchor. From this fixed point the crew will monitor the area using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or drones) and use human lookouts to spot migrant vessels in distress. Deployed around the clock, the UAVs can cover greater distances with more accuracy thanks to sonar, thermal and night-imaging.

Once a migrant vessel is spotted, its location will immediately be reported to the competent authorities whilst MOAS crew members, including multilingual staff and medical staff, will assess the needs of the migrants via Fast Rigid-hulled Inflatable Boats (RIB). RIBs will be stocked with water, non-perishable food, life jackets, blankets and medical supplies for speedy distribution in order to stabilise the situation.

If someone urgently needs medical care, that person will be treated by a MOAS medical care provider. Palliative care will be administered to whoever needs it. If a ship is in danger of sinking, migrants will be assisted as we await the arrival of competent authorities, who will take care of the situation.

Our goal is to reduce human suffering in any legal way possible. In keeping with maritime law, MOAS will not transport or assist in transporting migrants, but we will use all our resources to locate and treat suffering humans desperate for a better life.

For further information on MOAS visit: www.moas.eu

via Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) Malta.

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Werbe-Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry_p2A6HqP0

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migrant_Offshore_Aid_Station_%28MOAS%29

Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS)

This page is a new unreviewed article. This template should be removed once the page has been reviewed by someone other than its creator; if necessary the page should be appropriately tagged for cleanup. (June 2014)

‘Migrant Offshore Aid Station‘ (MOAS) is a humanitarian, non-profit project aimed at assisting vessels in distress in the central Mediterranean. The project runs between July and October 2014, when the MOAS team will sail a 43-metre (136-ft) expedition vessel, the Phoenix I, to major migrant shipping lanes. The aid station undertakes to assist Rescue Coordination Centres (RCC) mitigate loss of life at sea by providing food, water, lifejackets and emergency medical care to migrant vessels in distress.^[1]

Operation

The operation is being coordinated from the island of Malta, which lies in the central Mediterranean Sea and is close to the Italian islands of Sicily and Lampedusa. Italy and Malta are at the centre of a migratory route connecting North Africa to Europe. Over the past years, both countries have coordinated and have been directly involved in hundreds of cases saving thousands of lives at sea.^[2][3]

Equipped with the latest search and rescue facilities, Phoenix I will embark on a number of offshore missions in the summer with the aim of spotting and standing by migrant vessels until help is at hand. Trained personnel will assess the needs of the migrants and supply water, food, life jackets, blankets and medical supplies until help from the coast guard becomes available.^[4]

MOAS Idea and Funding

MOAS was set up after the tragedies of 2013 when two boatloads of migrants, one from Eritrea and Somalia and one carrying Syrian refugees, perished en route from North Africa to Europe.^[5] Each year, thousands of migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, risk their lives when attempting this perilous crossing on rickety boats. The ultimate aim of MOAS is to eliminate loss of life at sea to the greatest extent possible. MOAS will not act a ferry across the Mediterranean, but will use all its resources to assist the respective Rescue Coordination Centres in locating and treating suffering human beings, and to save lives where required.

Christopher and Regina Catrambone founded the project in 2013 with the aim of alleviating the needless suffering of thousands of people seeking a safe and stable new home.

The MOAS team

The MOAS group is made up of humanitarians including security professionals, medical staff and experienced maritime operators. They are passionate about the plight of migrants and the dangers they face as they try to find a life free of violence.^[6]

The project director is Brig Gen (Ret’d) Martin Xuereb, Malta’s ex Chief of Defence.

Phoenix 1

The MOAS expedition vessel, named ‚Phoenix I‘, is a 43-metre (136-ft) steel boat built in 1973. It has a gross tonnage of 483t. Track the progress of the vessel here.

See also

• Migration
• Refugees
• Mediterranean
• European Union
• Malta
• Italy
• Africa
• Rescue
• Conflict Zones

References

External links

• MOAS Website
• The Migrant Offshore Aid Station Trailer
• Moas Twitter
• Armed Forces Malta
• American Navy
• Italian Navy
• EU Observer
• The Times of Malta
• Malta Today
• The Malta Independent
• Tangiers Group