Life Support | 123 Rescued People Disembark in Civitavecchia

At around 14:00 on 17 March, EMERGENCY's search and rescue vessel Life Support completed the disembarkation of 123 rescued people, in the Italian sport of Civitavecchia. The survivors had been rescued in three separate operations on 13 and 14 March, carried out in less than 48 hours, in the international waters of the central Mediterranean. Among them are 20 women and 26 unaccompanied minors.

"This morning we arrived in Civitavecchia, the port of disembarkation assigned to us by the relevant Italian authorities after carrying out two rescues in the Libyan SAR zone, and one in the Maltese SAR zone. We have just finished disembarking the people rescued during this mission," says Domenico Pugliese, Captain of Life Support. "We thank the authorities and volunteers who supported us; it is also thanks to them that the operations went smoothly and that the people were received with dignity. We wish all the rescued people who have just arrived on land the very best. Meanwhile, Life Support is preparing for a new mission in the central Mediterranean, where the need is greatest."

Life Support came to the aid of three vessels in distress, none of which were fit to make the crossing of the Mediterranean; all were dangerously overcrowded and lacked life jackets or other safety equipment. During the first rescue, on the morning of Friday 13th, Life Support brought 41 people to safety; in the evening of the same day, it rescued a further 57 people, and on Saturday 14th at around 8pm, another 25.

"The rescued people have endured very long, complex and risky journeys," comments Annachiara Burgio, cultural mediator on board Life Support. "Many have told us they suffered violence, physical and psychological torture whilst in Libya. I hope that all the survivors find the protection they deserve."

The 123 rescued people had set out from the Libyan coast. Among the many nationalities represented, the most common countries of origin included Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan: countries impacted by violence, conflict, food insecurity and the consequences of climate change.

In particular, EMERGENCY itself is bearing witness to devastating conditions in Sudan, where the NGO provides free healthcare, as the country approaches the fourth anniversary of a continuous, violent conflict.

"I'm a university student, but with the war the university closed and the tribe I belong to began to be persecuted. Living conditions have become increasingly difficult, with no security, and the constant risk that a drone might arrive and strike you. That's why I decided to leave," says a rescued person from Sudan. "Before leaving the country, I spent three months in Khartoum during the war; I witnessed abuse, thefts, violence. Hoping to find a better situation, I went to El Fasher. Then the war reached there too; we moved again, but it wasn't enough, so my family and I decided to flee to Chad. We sought safety in a refugee camp near the border, where there was never enough food. I tried working as a porter, but the situation didn't improve much, so I set out in search of a new life in Europe, where I could continue my studies and be safe.

I set off for Libya, where I suffered violence, racism and arbitrary detention. Now that I have managed to cross the Mediterranean and reach Europe, I would expect protection, safety and psychological support as an asylum seeker."

After the first rescue was completed, Life Support informed the relevant authorities and was assigned Civitavecchia as the Place of Safety (POS), a port more than 500 miles and a three-day sail from its location. This decision forced the 123 rescued people on board, already vulnerable due to the traumatic experiences they had endured, to spend further days of travel in rough seas.

It also took Life Support far from the operational area, where there is a pressing need for SAR assets: so far in 2026, on the central Mediterranean route alone, the International Organisation for Migration reports 550 people dead and missing, a sharp increase compared to 1,330 in all of 2025.

EMERGENCY has also witnessed incidents of possible interception. For example, it headed towards a distress case reported by Alarm Phone, but did not find it. The boat was likely spotted by the Libyan Coast Guard: whilst flying over the area, the Seabird aircraft identified a Libyan vessel with around 80 people on board. Collective interceptions are illegal acts, as are pushbacks to Libya, as it is not a safe country but a place where violence, arbitrary detention and human trafficking are documented by the United Nations and independent organisations.

With the disembarkation in Civitavecchia, EMERGENCY's search and rescue ship concludes its 41st mission in the central Mediterranean. Since 2022, Life Support has rescued a total of 3,371 people.