Assistance to disembarked migrants - Projet d'Assistance aux REscapés en mer (PhARE)

The European Union, through the Migration Partnership Facility (MPF), mobilizes concrete resources to strengthen assistance to migrants in Mauritania on the ground, where every action saves lives. 

Project intervention areas: health, migration.

Three components: 

1. Provision of emergency assistance for the needs (medical, psychological, social, food) of disembarked migrants.
2. Strengthening specialized health and psychosocial aid in Nouadhibou.
3. Training and support for humanitarian and state personnel in caring for disembarked migrants.

PhARE sustainably strengthens local actors: coast guards, doctors, volunteers, and NGOs benefit from training in first aid, psychosocial support, and human rights - providing ongoing support to the health structures in Nouadhibou and Chami. 

PhARE embodies a concrete pillar of EU-Mauritania cooperation: a committed partnership, born from the Joint Declaration signed on March 7, 2024, to preserve human dignity through actions on the ground. 

Since 2022, the project has been funded by the British Red Cross and the French Embassy. Since 2025, the project is also supported by ICMPD (International Centre for Migration Policy Development), through European Union funding.

Project activities:

Establishment of humanitarian and emergency assistance for disembarked migrants:

• Recruitment, training, and equipping of volunteers and medical personnel.
• Distribution of food products and dignity and hygiene kits.
• Guidance and monitoring of migrants requiring transfer to second-level care facilities.
• Support for strengthening the capabilities of humanitarian service points. 

Expansion of specialized health and psychosocial aid:

• Support for strengthening mental health services and psychosocial care in Nouadhibou.
• Support for Chami health center. 

Training and support for humanitarian personnel:

• Training in human rights and psychological first aid.
• Support for the first aid training center in Nouadhibou.