The German aid organization Sea-Eye has taken in the Mediterranean according to own data more than 60 migrants on board their rescue ship. Among the rescued are 12 women, a child and a baby, said the Regensburg aid organization. The engine of the dinghy had already been down at the time of the rescue.
The Watch the Med Initiative, a project by activists who set up a helpline for refugees in distress, said it received an emergency call at around 10.30 am. „The authorities were not available,“ said the initiative. Therefore, she turned to the ship „Alan Kurdi“ of Sea-Eye that has been traveling in the waters for a week.
Since June 2018, the Libyan Coast Guard has been officially responsible for the rescue operations in this area of the Mediterranean. However, according to relief organizations, it rarely reacts to emergency calls. Even with the cry for help on Wednesday, the Libyan would not have responded.
Where Sea-Eye rescued refugees can go ashore is unclear. Italy has been refusing to let rescued refugees go ashore for months.
The „Alan Kurdi“ is currently the only civilian auxiliary ship in the Mediterranean. According to the International Organization for Migration, at least 311 people died this year trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.
