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Cruise NewsMSC Cruise Passengers Raise Nearly $7 Million for UNICEF

MSC Cruise Passengers Raise Nearly $7 Million for UNICEF

MSC Cruises, the world’s largest privately owned cruise line, announced that through the generous contributions of their guests, they were able to raise $6.9 million for UNICEF.

To date, MSC Cruises has helped nearly 67,000 children and their families through the contributions of their passengers. The funds raised are used to provide malnourished children with Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) such as Plumpy’ Nut. Thus far, more than two million sachets of RUTF have been delivered to children in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia and Malawi. The Company has also recently dispatched six containers containing over 22,000 much-needed supplies to contribute towards the relief effort in Malawi.

MSC Cruises and UNICEF have worked in partnership since 2009 and together established the global initiative to assist malnourished children in developing countries and those affected by crises. Through encouraging MSC Cruises’ guests fleet wide to make contributions to UNICEF, more than 6,300 children have been treated in Somalia, over 9,400 in both South Sudan and Ethiopia and, most recently, over 41,500 in Malawi. With multiple challenges such as food shortages, flooding, stagnant economies and prolonged droughts, the need for food aid in these countries is enormous, especially for children.

Through this long-standing partnership, MSC Cruises and UNICEF have helped to feed nearly 67,000 children and their families since 2014. In Malawi, 54,053 cases of severe acute malnutrition have been recorded this year. As the only corporate partner in the country, MSC Cruises has worked tirelessly to support the area, helping UNICEF to reach over 40% of Malawi’s severely malnourished children.

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The generosity of MSC Cruises guests has been magnified by an additional donation of more than 22,000 essential items delivered directly to Malawi, one of the poorest regions served by the relief effort. The six shipping containers will arrive on an MSC cargo ship this month and provide essential goods including mattresses and bed sheets, bicycles, cooking pots, bowls and spoons, and farming tools as well as chalkboards, school pencils, drawing books, toys and puppets for the children.

Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman at MSC Cruises, gave the following statement about the cruise line’s effort to help those in need: “We are delighted to have reached this new contribution milestone, thanks to the generosity of our guests.  As a family-run Company, we care deeply about the wellbeing of families around the world. Through the funds raised onboard our ships, thanks to our ‘Get on Board for Children’ initiative, we are able to provide life-saving food to severely malnourished children around the world, where and when most needed.”

In order to bring an increased number of children into treatment programs, UNICEF is conducting mass screenings for malnutrition in children under the age of five across 15 districts, reaching 100% of Malawi. These screenings will also help raise awareness about the prevalence of malnourishment within the communities.

In the meantime, to continue to educate MSC Cruises’ guests onboard about UNICEF’s work and the needs of children around the world, MSC Cruises organizes “edutainment” activities for children and their parents. Each week, the ships’ programs include activities like a dedicated UNICEF Day with fun games and a children’s parade, where participating kids receive a leaflet to teach them about malnutrition around the world. They also receive a UNICEF World Citizen passport that is stamped after each educational activity is completed, making them an ambassador for the rights of children across the globe.

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Ben Souza
Ben Souza
Ben is a world traveler who has visited 40+ countries, taken over 70 cruises, and flown nearly one million miles. He is one of USA TODAY's experts for their 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. His writings have appeared and been cited in various media outlets such as Yahoo News, MSN, NPR, Drudge Report, CNN, Fox, and ABC News. Ben currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio. Follow Ben on Instagram. Visit Ben Souza on Linkedin. You may email Ben at [email protected].
Cruise NewsMSC Cruise Passengers Raise Nearly $7 Million for UNICEF
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