As professional wanderers who get to explore the world for a living, we’ve long considered ourselves among the luckiest people on the planet. Over the years we’ve been especially grateful that our good fortune allows us to not just explore the world, but pitch in to help it when we can.
That’s why, as we’ve watched the mass migration of displaced people flow into Eastern Europe, we’ve been especially impressed with the work of Médecins Sans Frontières (a.k.a. MSF, or Doctors Without Borders), the world’s leading independent international medical relief organization, which implements and manages medical projects in close to 70 countries worldwide.
According to MSF, nearly four million people have had to flee their homes as a result of the ongoing crisis in Syria alone. Violence and brutality have forced most of them into refugee camps along Syria’s borders, where hopes for the future remain uncertain. They are part of the estimated 60 million people around the world who have been similarly displaced by war, poverty and oppression — the highest number since the Second World War. Thousands have reached the point where they are willing to risk their lives in order to find hope for themselves and their families, including more than 200,000 people who have so far attempted to reach Europe by sea this year alone.
MSF works on the migration routes along which many people travel, providing essential humanitarian care for those most at risk — including front-line rescue work on the perilous Mediterranean Sea crossing between North Africa and Europe.
B&R will be partnering with MSF in support of their emergency response and long-term projects with donations from our B&R Fund. B&R will also have access to relevant updates and information from the field to assist our trip designers, guides and staff in regions afflicted by outbreaks or disasters.
As part of our partnership, we hope to shed light on this internationally acclaimed organization. Whenever possible, our travellers will be informed of opportunities to join us in supporting valuable projects and disaster relief efforts with easy access to MSF’s donation website and toll free numbers—and we’ll start with this blog post.
Follow the links below to donate to MSF and help them provide aid to some of the world’s most vulnerable people.
United States: doctorswithoutborders.org
Canada: msf.ca
You can learn more about MSF from their websites above, or by viewing the video below.