NZ aid worker recipient of 2017 UNESCO Peace prize

MEDIA ADVISORY

New Zealand humanitarian aid worker on board Mediterranean search and rescue ship Aquarius, recipient of 2017 UNESCO Peace prize

Sydney – Catania - 20/04/2017 - As asylum seekers and refugees embark on fragile boats for a perilous journey on the Mediterranean Sea, New Zealand humanitarian aid worker Shaun Cornelius is committed to lifesaving operations on the Aquarius with Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors without Borders (MSF) and SOS Méditerranée.

Logistician Shaun Cornelius is currently working as Logistician Manager on the Aquarius rescue boat. Usually based in Wellington, Shaun is on his fourth assignment with MSF. He previously was in Ethiopia, South Sudan and on the Aquarius in 2016. Like him, since early 2017, nine New Zealand aid workers have been working with MSF around the world in humanitarian-medical programs.

“I’m honoured to participate to the humanitarian action achieved by the SOS Méditerranée - Aquarius ship. MSF’s primary role is to look after people once they are on board. This involves getting them into dry clothing, showering to remove gasoline, providing food, water, toilets and shelter, and of course medical treatment. As a logistician, I keep all the MSF equipment and structures on board in good working condition. This includes the shelter structures, toilets, showers and plumbing, drinking water filters, radios, computers and medical equipment. I am also responsible for the stocks of emergency kits and food we provide to our passengers. I carry out the re-order of supplies’ and I also liaise with the ship’s crew and engineers if repairs or modifications are needed to the ship’s equipment”, explains Shaun.

Read more about Shaun Cornelius assignment

ENDS

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