Coalition of Activist Groups Rescue 290 People in Central Mediterranean

Over the weekend, a coalition of activist groups, including Doctors Without Borders and French charity Pilotes Volontaires, rescued a total of 290 people in the central Mediterranean. The Geo Barents, a refugee rescue ship, located a rubber boat in distress carrying 81 people off the coast of Libya, with the help of the activist-run distress hotline organisation Alarm Phone and the Colibri 2, a reconnaissance plane. Later that afternoon, the Geo Barents and Colibri 2 crews rescued 81 people from another unseaworthy boat in the same area. Additionally, the Ocean Viking, operated by SOS Mediterranee, rescued 61 more people in the same area on Saturday afternoon, bringing the total number of people rescued to 290.

Despite the successful rescue efforts, the Italian authorities ordered both ships to disembark the rescued people in ports hundreds of nautical miles away from where the operations took place. This decision was seen as a hostile measure by the activist groups involved in the rescue. The rescued individuals included 128 women, men, and children, and the coalition of activist groups played a crucial role in ensuring their safety and well-being. The collaboration between these organizations demonstrates the importance of collective efforts in saving lives in the Mediterranean.

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