“About Malteser International"

The Founding and Purpose of Malteser International
Malteser International, the global relief arm of the Order of Malta, was publicly launched on the Feast Day of St. John, 2005. It subsumed the existing ECOM (Emergency Corps of the Order of Malta), and is responsible for executing and/or coordinating the Order's efforts in foreign humanitarian aid and disaster relief throughout the world. Several associations of the Order (most notably [France, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland and Britain]) have long-established and fully functional aid arms - these will continue to exist, and work through Malteser International for the coordination of their global activities.

In countries where there is one or more association of the Order but no relief arm exists, such as the United States or Canada, Malteser International will found a local organisation with the support of the local association(s), and work with them to build up capacity to raise awareness of the works of Malteser International, conduct informational and training activities, recruit humanitarian aid staff and volunteers, assist in liaison with local governmental and supranational bodies, and access public and private funding.

Malteser International's global headquarters are in Cologne, Germany. On the date of its founding, it merged with the Foreign Aid Service of the Malteser Hilfdienst, and has approximately 120 international and 650 local staff engaged on 80 projects in 34 countries, serving approximately 5 million people.

In the long tradition of Christian service of the Order of Malta, Malteser International is committed:

• To provide assistance to those in need without regard to creed, gender, race or nationality
• To respect the religious and cultural traditions of those the serve
• To work closely with, and hand over responsibilities as soon as feasible to, local partners
• To be accountable towards all our stakeholders
• To manage financial resources cost-effectively
  

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should the Order of Malta and its members get involved in humanitarian aid and disaster relief?

 Hospitaller works are a driving raison d'etre of the Order…

» ".. the Order affirms and propagates the Christian virtue of charity and brotherhood. The Order carries out its charitable works for the sick, the needy and refugees without distinction of religion, race, origin and age…." [Article 2, para 2 Purpose, Constitutional charter of SMOM]
- "The Order fulfils its institutional tasks especially by carrying out Hospitaller works, including social and health assistance, as well as aiding victims of exceptional disasters and of war...".[Article 2, para. 3 Purpose, Constitutional charter of SMOM]


» ….and an explicit purpose of the Associations…

- "the purpose of the Associations of the Order is to implement the objectives of the Order as set out in Art.2 of the Constitution" [article 229 of code of SMOM ]


» …as well as explicitly among the requirements for all members

- "It is incumbent on them (members of the Order) to collaborate effectively in its hospitaller and social works" [article 116 of code of SMOM]

How long has the Order of Malta been responding to human emergencies?
In 1693, the town of Augusta in Sicily was destroyed by and earthquake. The Order dispatched five galleys to provide assistance.

In 1883, the seaport of Reggia in Italy was devastated by earthquakes. The entire fleet of the Order was sent to help. They set up tents to house those left homeless, and established an ran a temporary hospital

During the First World War, the Order cared for 800,000 sick and wounded men in Europe, on both sides of the conflict

In the twentieth century, the Order provided humanitarian assistance in a number of man-made disasters, including the Hungarian Crisis of 1956, the Vietnam War, civil wars in Lebanon, El Salvador and the Sudan, the Kurdish conflict and the Ethiopian Famine. The Order also responded to natural disasters in a number of places including Italy, Colombia, El Salvador, India, the Ukraine, Hungary, Romania, Poland, and Mozambique

In how many places is Malteser International currently active?
As of the end of 2003, Malteser International was responsible for 80 projects and programmes in 34 different countries, utilizing 120 international and 650 local staff, and 1,800 volunteers to help about five million people.

What are the skills of the people involved?
Relief work requires a broad set of skills in addition to the "obvious" medical skills - staff and volunteers are thoroughly trained in a variety of capacities, and act as: physicians, paramedics, nurses and orderlies, logisticians, administrators, project managers, media liaison and trainers.

How is this activity funded?
The relief works of the Order of Malta are funded by a wide variety of sources, principally private donations, individual governmental funding, and grants from international bodies (e.g. the United Nations, the European Union)