Migrations, central Mediterranean: Emergency’s Life Support ship rescues 184 people who left from the coasts of Tunisia and Libya

ROME – The ship Life support of the non-governmental organization EMERGENCY rescued and rescued 184 people. The operations took place in international waters, in the Maltese search and rescue zone. The first boat came from Libya, the other three from Tunisia. Among the 184 people secured there are 26 women, two of whom are pregnant, and 56 minors, of whom 26 are unaccompanied. The castaways come from Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Guinea, Egypt, Eritrea, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Syria, Sudan: all countries grappling with serious crises related to food insecurity, political instability and civil conflicts.

The testimonials. Yohanes Ghebray Tsegay, cultural mediator on board the ship Life support, says that the first boat left from Zwara, in Libya, in the night between 17 and 18 July, while the other 3 left from Sfax, in Tunisia. Many of the rescued people come from the sub-Saharan area and started their journey months ago, some even years ago. The first boat in distress was reported by Frontex and from Alarm Phone – explains Tsegay. The other three, however, were reported by Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of Rome, adds Carlo Maisano, head of mission of Life support.

conditions of refugees. The castaways show symptoms of dehydration, some struggle to move after spending several days under the sun in uncomfortable positions, but there are no serious cases, comments Virginia Gatto, one of the doctors on board the Life Support.

The landing. After completing the rescue operations and informing the competent authorities, Life Support asked for a safe port where to disembark the 184 survivors. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Rome first assigned Lampedusa, where 13 people were disembarked, and then the port of Taranto for all the other shipwrecked people on board.

There Life support. It is the EMERGENCY search and rescue vessel and has been active in the Central Mediterranean, one of the most dangerous migratory routes in the world, since December 2022. In these months of 2023, at least 1,668 deaths have already been counted in the central Mediterranean. EMERGENCY Life Support has so far rescued 867 people.