Ocean Viking rescues 68 migrants stranded off Libya coast
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The Italian authorities have ordered the survivors to disembark in Ancona, a faraway port, which the NGO protested.
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Migrants wait to be rescued by the Spanish NGO Open Arm lifeguards during a rescue operation at the international waters zone of Libya in the Mediterranean, on September 15, 2022 (AP)
On Sunday, the Ocean Viking, a rescue ship hired by SOS Mediterranee, rescued 68 stranded migrants in international seas off the coast of Libya, according to the France-based humanitarian organization.
"The Ocean Viking rescued 68 shipwrecked people from a double-decker wooden boat that left Zouara in Libya last night," the NGO noted.
The organization explained that "several of them are suffering from seasickness and are currently being treated by the medical team of SOS Mediterranee and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on board the Ocean Viking."
Images posted by the NGO on X, previously Twitter, show several dozen migrants wearing orange life jackets jammed onto a homemade watercraft.
The Italian authorities have ordered the survivors to disembark in Ancona, a faraway port, which the NGO protested.
"The port is 1,560 kilometers (970 miles) -- four days' sailing -- from the area of operations, at a time when there is a crucial need for search and rescue capacity in the Mediterranean. There are many boats leaving shore and the risk of loss of life is high."
Giorgia Meloni's far-right administration, which includes anti-migrant League leader Matteo Salvini as deputy prime minister, has increased its efforts to stymie the work of migrant rescue organizations since taking office in 2022.
At the end of August, the Ocean Viking rescue vessel, operated by SOS Mediterranee, successfully saved 438 migrants in distress in the Mediterranean.
The rescues occurred in international waters near Libya and Tunisia. The NGO also revealed that it rescued 272 individuals from various nations on August 24, including unaccompanied minors, babies, and people with disabilities.
The central Mediterranean is the most dangerous migratory route in the world, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The UN agency estimates that since the beginning of 2023, 2,013 migrants have gone missing in those waters, compared with 1,417 for the whole of 2022.
The Ocean Viking was detained for 10 days in July by the Italian authorities, who alleged there were safety issues with the vessel, but it was authorized to set sail again on July 21.
The number of migrants who have lost their lives this year while attempting to get to Europe by sea has been revised by researchers at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), bringing the total to over 2,000.
IOM statistics show that between January 1 and June 26 of this year, at least 1,999 migrants died, the majority of whom drowned. 1,358 deaths occurred during the same time the previous year. The three main routes across the Mediterranean, as well as the Atlantic route from West Africa, are all included in these totals.
