700 rescued in the Mediterranean this weekend
Lifeboats have picked up more than 700 migrants and refugees who tried to cross the Mediterranean this weekend, aid organizations say. Most have been rescued outside Libya and Malta. The youngest who was rescued was three months old.
SOS Mediterranean states that “Ocean Viking” has been involved in six rescue operations during the weekend, and that there were 555 survivors on board on Sunday night. It is unclear where they can be landed.
On Sunday night, boats from SOS Méditerranée, Sea-Watch and ResQship picked up 400 migrants in the central Mediterranean. They were in distress when the boat they were sailing with began to take in water.
According to the UN Organization for Migration, IOM, at least 1,146 people have lost their lives while trying to cross the Mediterranean so far this year. The route from Libya to Italy or Malta is by far the deadliest in the world. During the first half of 2021, 930 people lost their lives while trying to cross the sea there.
SOS Méditerranée says they have rescued 30,000 people since 2016.
–
