Third rescue in 48 hours for Open Arms: the ship of the Spanish NGO, after rescuing a boat with 77 migrants on board during the night, recovered another 116 people – including 2 women – who were on a boat adrift from 3 days, without food or water. The migrants, the doctors of Emergency on board the ship found, were in conditions of severe dehydration, confusion and severe debilitation.
To report the boat to Open Arms was the freighter Morning Crown who, according to the NGO, “remained beside the boat for hours without assisting the castaways following the instructions given by the Maltese authorities”. On board the Open Arms there are now 276 migrants: in addition to the 116 rescued in the afternoon and the 77 recovered in the night, there are another 83 people rescued last Wednesday.
Also today, the 27 migrants from 38 days on board the cargo Etienne were transferred to the NGO Mare Jonio. “Our medical team – explained the NGO Mediterranea – found them in serious psycho-physical conditions and now incompatible with the stay on the tanker”. Mare Jonio claims to have asked the authorities of Malta, deemed “responsible for this SAR event of 5 August”, to indicate “as soon as possible a safe port of landing for these people who are in urgent need of care”.
