History of Organisation
At its inception, SOS Malta was founded to address the hunger and poverty striken Albanians that reached the Maltese shores in ship-loads in the early nineties. Not being able to seek haven on our small island, a national campaign to assist them in need was launched. This led to the first visits of the founders of the organisation to the country.
Humanitarian aid and emergency food supplies, together with items of clothing and other basic needs first reached the Albanian shores in September 1991. After various appeals for assistance on a national level, it was soon realised that a more structured and permanent approach was needed if any difference was to be made to the quality of life of Albanians. This led to the foundation of SOS Malta as the first international NGO in Malta.
From the delivery of ship-loads of humanitarian aid, SOS Malta has developed into a development agency, providing for the long-term social, economic and political development of the people of Albania, assisting in times of crisis as happened during the collapse of the pyramid schemes in 1997 in the country as well as the Kosovo crisis in 1999.