Doctor Without Borders Rescues 109 Migrants Drifted in Mediterranean Sea

Italian Boat rescuing the migrants, Sept 19, 2024 Photo: MSF

September 19, 2024 Hour: 3:06 pm

Following the lifting of an administrative blockade by Italy, the Geo Barents ship of Médecins sans Frontières picked up more than a hundred people, mostly women and children, trying to reach Europe.

The Geo Barents boat, operated by the NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), rescued 109 migrants and refugees who were adrift in a fragile boat in the central Mediterranean on Thursday.

According to the organization, most of the rescued people are women and children, including many unaccompanied minors.

The operation was made possible by the lifting of the administrative blockade imposed by Italy, which had restricted rescue activities in the region.

Migrants, who set off from the coasts of Africa in a crowded wooden boat, were trying to reach southern Europe in search of shelter and better living conditions.

In the afternoon, 109 people were rescued from a second overcrowded wooden boat in the Mediterranean. They were fleeing Libya.

During the rescue, a boat from the Libyan Coast Guard, donated by Italy, approached the scene and conducted dangerous maneuvers. pic.twitter.com/QTiFv0jRCB
— MSF Sea (@MSF_Sea) September 19, 2024

The situation in the central Mediterranean remains critical for migrants and refugees trying to cross into Europe.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that more than 1,100 people have lost their lives in this area so far in 2024. Since 2014, the total number of victims has reached almost 24,000, highlighting the dangerous journey that involves crossing these waters.