SOS Mediterranee and IFRC call upon all governments to ensure humanitarians can provide lifesaving support at sea without risking their lives
Central Mediterranean,10 July 2023 -The lives of shipwrecked personsand a humanitarian crewfrom SOS MEDITERRANEEand IFRCwereputin danger on Fridayafternoon, July 7, during a rescue operation at sea.TheLibyancoastguard fired shots in close proximitytoa rescue crew.This isthe third incident this year,andpart ofa context of increasinginsecurityin the MediterraneanSea. The crew onboard humanitarian rescue ship Ocean Viking, operatedby SOS MEDITERRANEEandthe International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), responded to a mayday relay call about a small boat in distress in international waters off the Libyan coast. It was the second operation of the day after a first rescue of 46 persons that also took place in international waters in the Libyan Search and Rescue Region. Shortly after the evacuation of the eleven shipwrecked personsby the Ocean Viking’s smaller inflatable rescue boats,a Libyan Coastguard patrol vessel approached the scene at high speed and started to fire multiple shotsat close range.The gunshots were fired less than 100 meters from the humanitarian rescue crew and the shipwrecked persons– including a woman and five unaccompanied children – as they were trying to get back to the Ocean Viking. While all shipwrecked persons and crew members made it to safety onboard the Ocean Viking, all are in shock and some sustained injuries because ofthe dangerous manoeuvres of the Coastguard.Giannis, leader of the inflatable rescue boat closest to the Libyan patrol vessel, describes the imminent danger of the incident: "The impact of the wake created by the Libyan patrol vessel on our boats was so strong that I injured my back. As they continued shooting and chasing us, the safety of the rescued people and crew were in the hands of a gunman." It is the third time since the beginning of this year that the crew of the Ocean Viking faced a dangerous incident during a rescue operation. IFRC and SOS Mediterranee call uponall governments to ensure humanitarians can providelifesavingsupport at sea without risking their lives. Ashumanitarianorganizations, our focus is on saving lives, filling the gap in search and rescue left in the Mediterranean and these situations put people at increasing risk. At the same time, numbers of dead and missing at Europe’s southern border continue to mount. “We are extremely worried about the security situation onthe MediterraneanSea.We have seen devasting numbers of people that perishedat seathis year, with the horrific shipwreck off the coast of Greeceas a recent example. At the same time, humanitarian organizations tryingto help people in distress at seafear for their safety. Thisdangerous situation can lead to the loss of more lives, even though all these deathsofpeopleat sea are preventable,”saysMariaAlcazar Castilla, DeputyRegional Director for Europe and Central Asiaat IFRC. 2023 has been a particularly deadly year so far: 1,728 people have died trying to cross the central Mediterranean in search of safety and peace in Europe since January. It is the highest death toll since 2017 and almost certainlyan undercount. To prevent more deaths, it is crucial that humanitarianscan operatesafely to assistpeople in distress at sea. Note to editors Photos and footage of the incident can be found here. OnJanuary25, the Libyan Coastguard interfered with an ongoing rescue operation by preventing the SOS MEDITERRANEE Search and Rescue team on arigid-hull inflatable boat to return to the mothership. All survivors and crew eventually reached safety onboard the Ocean Vikingwhere IFRC provided them with post-rescuesupport. On March 25, a Libyan Coastguard patrol vessel came dangerously closeto the Ocean Viking (less than 50 meters). Not answering to VHF calls, the Libyan Coastguard started firing shots in the air in close proximityof the Ocean Viking as therescue ship was trying to leave the scene. Only after firing gunshots, the Libyan Coastguard in Arabic language requested the Ocean Viking to leave the area. The operational partnership between IFRC and SOS Mediterranee onboard the Ocean Viking fills an important gap in the humanitarian response to assistand rescue persons in distress at sea. We do this by providingessential humanitarian services such as food, items for basic needs, and access to protection and health services to all survivors, regardless of their migration status. For more information, please contact: IFRC: Julie Enthoven/+36 70 508 5702/[email protected] SOS MEDITERRANEE PRESS CONTACTS: International Alisha Vaya /+33 6 34 10 41 33 /[email protected] France MérylSotty / +33 6 11 74 10 11 / [email protected] Italy Francesco Creazzo / +393478151131 / [email protected] Federica Salvati / +393332091366 / [email protected] Switzerland Alice Ganguillet/ +41 78 301 81 30/ [email protected] Germany Julia Schafermeyer/ +33 6 12 52 15 69/ [email protected] /