The Order of Malta is permanently present with medical, social and humanitarian projects in over 120 countries. Here are some of the most recent developments of the Order”s projects worldwide.

South Sudan: Malteser International feeds thousands of children a day in the face of famine and conflict

The United Nations has formally declared famine in parts of South Sudan, warning that regional conflict and explosive inflation have left more than 100,000 people facing starvation and a further one million classified as being on the brink of famine. In the South Sudanese capital Juba, the Order of Malta provides 2,000 children with a warm meal each day during school. A further 3,000 children in the city of Wau will also begin to receive free school meals. Malteser International is already helping local people with the cultivation of vegetables and cereals as hostilities in the country make conditions for agriculture increasingly difficult, and cause the price of basic foodstuffs to increase wildly. In order to ensure that displaced people in Wau have reliable access to clean drinking water, Malteser International has sunk eighteen boreholes to supply camps in the area, where around 45,000 displaced people are living.

Jerusalem: Walk in eye clinic opens on the spot of the Order’s original 12th century hospital

900 years later, the Hospitaller tradition continues where it all started. Around 33,000 Palestinians, who face daily restriction moving to the outside part of the city, inhabit the old city of Jerusalem. The clinic provides easy access to eye care whilst also addressing the problem of residents not attending follow-up visits at the main hospital located in the outskirts of the city, wholly owned by the Most Venerable Order of Saint John.

Libya: The Order of Malta’s Italian Relief Corps trains the future Libyan Coast Guard

The Order’s medical team participated in the training of naval personnel in Libya, a main departure point of the boats overloaded with migrants. The training mission was carried out as part of the European naval force operation EUNAVFOR MED Sophia, launched with the aim of preventing migrant deaths in the Mediterranean sea, and countering the criminal networks controlling human smuggling and trafficking. Over the years, the doctors of the Order of Malta’s Italian Relief Corps have assisted some 50 thousand migrants

Chile: Aid distributed to those affected by destructive forest fires

Catastrophic forest fires hit Chile this past month due to record high temperatures, burning approximately 587,000 hectares of land in the central region of the country. As a result, numerous families have been left homeless in isolated rural areas. For the many families who rely on livestock, the fires have created a large need for animal feed for animals such as sheep and goats.

The Chilean Association of the Order of Malta and its humanitarian foundation (Fundación Auxilio Maltés), have organised an operation to provide aid to the affected families and have also sent trucks distributing 1.800 bales of animal feed to the local community.

More information on these and other ongoing projects in over 120 countries can be found at the Order of Malta’s website (http://www.orderofmalta.int) and at the website of the Order’s worldwide relief agency, Malteser International (http://www.malteser-international.org/en/home/home.html).