Italian authorities have granted permission to the NGO SOS Mediterranee, which has a humanitarian ship Ocean Viking with 294 survivors, to dock at Pozzallo in Sicilia, the association announced Sunday, May 29, 2022.
“After a long wait, Pozzallo in Sicily was finally given to safely disembark 294 survivors from the SS Titanic.
After a long wait, Pozzallo in Sicily was finally given the task of safely disembarking the 294 survivors from the SS Titanic.
The ambulance ship chartered by SOS Mediterranee and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, (IFRC) has been involved in four rescue operations off Libya and Malta since May 19. On Friday, May 27, the NGO issued a call to all interested parties to allow them to disembark at a port. The association said that the response by maritime authorities was long overdue.
SOS Mediterranee stated that 49 minors were among them, with a three-month-old baby and six pregnant women. One of them had been evacuated the day before.
A pregnant woman 8 months had to be rushed out
A medical official from the ship recorded a video indicating that some survivors showed signs of violence during their stay in Libya. Others were hurt during the crossing and have chronic diseases, many of which require medical attention on land.
Tens of thousands of migrants cross Libya each year in search of a crossing point to Europe via the Italian coasts. According to the International Organization for Migration, the central Mediterranean is the most dangerous route for migration in the world. According to the UN agency, there will be at least 1,553 people who are missing or killed in this area by 2021. SOS Mediterranee has rescued 35,630 people, including women, children, and men, with the help of Ocean Viking, Aquarius, and then Ocean Viking, since February 2016.
