Welcome to another edition of the MOAS podcast. In this episode we're talking about the people who cross the Sahara Desert, many bound for Libya and the crossing to Europe. At over 9 million kilometres square and enveloping 11 countries, the Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert on Earth. No one truly knows the scale of how many people die making the crossing but it widely held by concerned organisations that many more perish on the journey to Libya than those recorded in the Mediterranean. Joining us from Niger in West Africa is Petra Suric Jankov, Business Development Specialist for the Catholic Relief Services. CRS is proposing ways to rebuild the economy and livelihoods for the community of Agadez, Niger and the migrants who use the ancient Tuareg city to depart from. We talk about the significance of the departure point, how migrants prepare for the crossing, the journey and how to change people's minds about making the crossing. Made with the help of an EVS volunteer http://europa.eu/youth/volunteering/organisation/925407937_en @EUPAMALTA @EUPA1 #migrant #offshore #aid #station #MOAS #Malta #Italy #Europe #safe #legal #routes #Phoenix #crossing #cross #desert #sahara #migrant #refugees #Agadez #west #Africa #Niger #Tuareg #catholic #relief #services #petra #suric #jankov #crossing #journey #alternatives #departure #point