Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/567101
maltatoday, Sunday, 6 September 2015 News Search and rescue charity MOaS (Migrant Offshore aid Sta- tion) has received more than €1 million in donations from all over the world in the past 48 hours. Since heart-breaking photos were published showing Syrian toddler aylan Kurdi washed ashore on a Turkish beach, MOaS has been among many NGOs receiving a tidal wave of support. Donations have poured in every few seconds from all over the world including the US, UK, Tur- key, Germany and Brazil. Meanwhile, a crowd-funding campaign has been launched on Indiegogo to help buy at least one more boat for MOaS. entitled #Peoplesarmada, the campaign is seeking to raise an additional $3 million and can be found here: h t t p s : // w w w. i n d i e g o g o . c o m / projects/people-s-armada#/story Since the launch of operations in august 2014, MOaS has saved over 11,000 lives from sinking boats in the Mediterranean Sea. "We are experiencing a tidal wave of humanity after years of global indifference. One photo has changed people's hearts and minds the world over. We are all now realising this is a humanitar- ian crisis of epic proportions and we need all hands on deck. People are donating to charities like ours because they want to do some- thing concrete to help. It is time world leaders get together to do the same," said MOaS director Martin Xuereb. "These donations will have big implications on our small but very effective organisation. We may be able to expand our mission's reach to other parts of the Mediterra- nean and beyond. Our long-term vision is to enhance our capabili- ties to mitigate loss of life all year round. at the moment, our current levels of funding limit us to one vessel operating for six months every year – and we have already saved so many lives. Imagine what we can do with significantly more funding," he added. The operational costs of MOaS are upwards of €500,000 each month. "MOaS strives to draw a very short line between funds received and lives saved. In fact, well over 90% of the funds we receive are spent directly on saving lives. To this end, we keep our administra- tion costs down to a bare mini- mum. We will make sure all funds raised are pumped into a direct ef- fort to save refugees from certain death," Xuereb, Malta's former chief of defence, said. "Unfortunately we were not there to be able to save young ay- lan Kurdi but we will keep working tirelessly to keep his memory alive by making sure such tragedies do not repeat themselves," he said. REGISTER ONLINE & GET DIRECT DAILY DEALS INTO YOUR INBOX! THE ABOVE DEALS CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE AT www.dealsmalta.com.mt GET 50% OFF! 3 Course A La Carte Dinner €21.95 (Worth: €43.90) GET 50% OFF! 3 Course A La Carte Lunch or Dinner €22.50 (Worth: €45.00) MOAS raises €1 million in two days in 'tidal wave of humanity'