More than eighteen maritime organisations have donated a combined £600,000 to The Mission to Seafarer’s Flying Angel Campaign to help address the severe welfare issues facing seafarers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Mission to Seafarers has reached its £600,000 target, which will deliver a range of significant benefits to seafarers. These donations are funding projects to provide equipment and support where it is most needed. This includes the adaptation of Seafarers Centres to meet local regulations to ensure they can once again welcome seafarers when they are permitted to take shore leave, the provision of Mi-Fi units (mobile WiFi) in Australia, and a food bank programme supporting 600 seafarers’ families in Tuticorin, India and much more.
Regarding the long-term impact of the pandemic, the Mission is responding with the creation of a new fund to help provide long-term support over the next 18 months. As an extension of the Flying Angel Campaign, the Sustainability Fund will help sustain the Mission’s Advocacy & Welfare programmes as well as its global operations for 2020 and 2021, ensuring that vital frontline services are maintained to serve seafarers.
Edward Koo, Executive Managing Director, Fleet Management & Operations of TCC, commented on the occasion:
What we owe these seafarers isn’t just our gratitude and respect, but our acknowledgement that without their dedication and sacrifice, our lives would have no chance of ever going back to normal. This lack of awareness and visible support for seafarers is perhaps the greatest silent disaster of this global pandemic
What is more, the Revd Canon Andrew Wright, Secretary General for The Mission to Seafarers, said that with the launch of the Sustainability Fund, the Mission is looking to the long term, as it is clear that the pandemic will not be eradicated overnight.
Alongside emergency assistance where it is most needed, we need to act now to adapt our services to manage the long-term impact and consequences of COVID-19 on our seafarers for the remainder of 2020 and 2021
