Life Support | 113 Rescued People Disembark in Genoa

On Sunday 1 November, at the Italian port of Genoa, EMERGENCY's search and rescue ship Life Support disembarked 113 people rescued during two separate operations in the central Mediterranean Sea. The rescues took place in international waters on 27 and 28 October, the first in the Maltese SAR zone and the second in the Libyan SAR zone.

Among the 113 people rescued by EMERGENCY are nine women, two of whom are pregnant, and 104 men and boys, including 36 unaccompanied minors and one child travelling with his family.

The survivors' countries of origin include Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Somalia and Sudan, countries affected by violence, conflict, extreme poverty, instability and the climate crisis. EMERGENCY is particularly familiar with the serious humanitarian emergency in Sudan, where it has stayed throughout years of conflict to continue operating free healthcare facilities in Khartoum, Port Sudan and Nyala (South Darfur).

A young Sudanese survivor shared his experience: "I set off alone from Khartoum last year. My neighbourhood was under siege for weeks; at any moment we could have been hit by explosive drones. I decided to flee and within a few weeks I reached Libya with some friends. The Libyan police arrested us for no reason, stealing everything we had. They forced us to work all day, giving us very little to eat. When we stopped because we were exhausted, we were beaten with sticks and threatened with rifles. We then managed to set off from Zawiya and were at sea for two days before being rescued. By then, the water was up to our ankles, mixed with fuel, in total darkness. When we saw your ship, we thought it was the Libyan Coastguard; it was only after a few minutes that we realised we were safe."

The first rescue operation by Life Support took place in the late afternoon on 27 October, and brought to safety 73 people - four women and 69 men, including one child and 15 unaccompanied minors - who were found on a wooden boat in distress. During the second operation, on 28 October, Life Support rescued 40 people - five women and 35 men, including 21 unaccompanied minors - who were on board a partially deflated rubber dinghy. They reported setting sail from the Libyan coast.

The relevant Italian authorities assigned Genoa as the Place of Safety for disembarkation, a port approximately 680 nautical miles and four days' sailing from the site of the second rescue.

"Having to reach such a distant port forces the survivors, who are vulnerable, to spend further days at sea and denies them access to essential services, while according to international conventions, they should be taken to a place of safety as soon as possible," commented Jonathan Nanì La Terra, Head of Mission on board Life Support. "This decision by the authorities also has the effect of keeping our vessel away from the central Mediterranean operational area. This is one of the deadliest migration routes in the world, where 1,036 deaths were recorded in the first ten months of the year, according to IOM data."

"We have just completed the disembarkation; finally, after more than four days at sea, the people rescued during this mission were able to come ashore," said Domenico Pugliese, Captain of EMERGENCY's search and rescue ship. "During this long crossing, which was particularly difficult for pregnant women and the most vulnerable, the EMERGENCY crew looked after all those rescued. As Life Support prepares for a new mission in the central Mediterranean, we wish those who have just disembarked all the best for their future."

Life Support has completed its 46th mission in the central Mediterranean. Since December 2022, EMERGENCY has rescued a total of 3,701 people.