For the third day in a row, Sea-Watch rescued refugees from distress in the central Mediterranean. 73 people, including 16 women and children, were taken on board the „Sea-Watch 3“ this morning, the Berlin-based organization announced on Twitter. In the afternoon, the crew reported on a fourth mission in which 97 people were brought onto the ship.
In the previous two days, the volunteers had taken in around 145 people. Many were exhausted and received medical care, according to Sea-Watch. Unaccompanied minors were also among those rescued, it said. During the rescue yesterday, the „Sea-Watch 3“ rushed to the rescue after the inflatable boat of the refugee had lost air.
Over 300 refugees on board
This means that there are a total of almost 320 refugees on board the ship. A little more than a week ago, the “Sea-Watch 3” left the port of the Spanish city of Burriana after a seven-month “forced break”, as the organization announced at the time. On Thursday, the crew arrived in the targeted search area around 30 nautical miles off the coast of Libya.
Today the International Organization for Migration reported that 15 people had lost their lives at sea. She relied on statements made by survivors who had been brought back to shore by the Libyan coast guard. According to the UN, more than 170 people died in the central Mediterranean this year. According to the Italian Ministry of the Interior, around 4,500 refugees have arrived in Italy by boat in 2021. In the same period of the previous year it was around 2,350.
