In 2011, the wave of protests known as the “Arab Spring” reached Syria and escalated into an open civil war. Jihadist groups and foreign powers soon became involved.

The conflict triggered one of the largest refugee crises in history, with hundreds of thousands attempting to cross by sea from Turkey to Greece in search of safety.

In September 2015, the photo of little Alan Kurdi drowned on a beach awakened the global community. As rescuers, we knew we had to be there. We rushed to Lesbos to assist the hundreds of Syrian refugees fleeing war. That became, unknowingly, the first mission of Open Arms.

A decade later, people are still dying in the Mediterranean. That’s why we’re still here. We’ve saved the lives of more than 70,000 people fleeing war, natural disasters, persecution, or poverty. And with your help, we’ll save many more.