MSC Cruises Raises EUR 8million for UNICEF
MSC Cruises, the world’s largest privately owned cruise company and leading cruise line in Europe and South America, has announced today that to date it has raised more than €8 million for UNICEF thanks to the generous contributions of its guests.
The funds raised are used to provide malnourished children with Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) such as Plumpy’ Nut and to date more than 6.5 million sachets of RUTF have been delivered to children in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia and Malawi.
Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman commented: “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 on board our ships thanks to our ‘Get on Board for Children’ initiative to provide life-saving food to severely malnourished children around the world where and when most needed."
MSC Cruises and UNICEF have worked in partnership since 2009 and together established in 2013 a global initiative to assist malnourished children in developing countries and those affected by crises. The initiative encourages MSC Cruises’ guests across the fleet to make a contribution to UNICEF.
Between 2013 and 2017, thanks to these generous contributions over 20,500 children have been treated in Somalia, over 15,700 in South Sudan, over 9,400 Ethiopia and, most recently, over 35,000 in Malawi.
Facing multiple challenges such as food shortages, flooding, stagnant economies and prolonged droughts, the need of food aid in these countries remains crucial, especially for the lives of children. Through this long-standing partnership, MSC Cruises and UNICEF seek to fight hunger together and have helped to feed nearly 81,150 children and their families since 2013.
