SOS Humanity.
Search and rescue in the Mediterranean.

In parallel to the rescue, which was completed at 9:30 a.m., the crew of Humanity 1 documented the illegal interception and pull-back of a boat in distress by the so-called Libyan coast guard. In a risky manoeuvre, two of their boats begin to take people from the rubber boat on board. In the process 6 people are falling into the water. The remaining people are forced back to Libya by the boats of the so-called Libyan Coast Guard. The people left in the water are temporarily rescued on a life raft of the Louise Michel and then taken on board the Humanity 1.

At 7.00, a severely overcrowded rubber boat in distress is spotted. By 9:30 the over 100 people are brought on board Humanity 1. The crew of Louise Michel is again involved in the rescue.

At 23:00 the emergency hotline Alarm Phone informs the crew of Humanity 1 about a boat in distress. The crew of rescue vessel Louise Michel arrives at the scene first. They distribute life jackets and stabilise the situation. The overcrowded, two-storey wooden boat is keeling, filling with water, and in danger of capsizing. Around midnight the crew of Humanity 1 arrives at the scene and takes over the coordination of the rescue. A boat from the so-called Libyan Coast Guard arrives as well and comes very close to the boat in distress. Several people fall into the water. By 2:00 all 49 people are brought on board Humanity 1.

By shortly after 1 a.m., all 103 rescued people from the Louise Michel have been taken on board the Humanity 1, including a pregnant woman, several infants, and over 30 minors.

After hours of waiting for coordination by the rescue coordination centres, the captains of the two rescue ships decided to bring all 103 rescued people from the Louise Michel on board the larger and better equipped Humanity 1. The relevant rescue coordination centres were informed about the reasons for the necessary transshipment and care for the survivors onboard the Humanity 1, yet did not fulfil their duty of coordination.

At midday, the captain of Humanity 1 is informed by the search and rescue vessel Louise Michel of a rubber boat in distress with over 100 people on board. While the crew of Louise Michel secures the boat, initiates first assistance, and distributes life jackets, Humanity 1 sets course towards the rescue site. Before the arrival of Humanity 1, a speedboat of the so-called Libyan Coast Guard reaches the scene. Panic breaks out onboard the unseaworthy dinghy and water enters. Due to the immediate emergency, the crew of the Louise Michel brings all the people in distress on board their vessel. During the rescue operation of Louise Michel, Humanity 1 arrives on the scene. The so-called Libyan Coast Guard, armed with a machine gun, verbally assaults the crews of both rescue ships. Afterwards, they tow the empty rubber boat back towards the Libyan coast with the lights of their boat switched off.

At night the crew of Humanity 1 conducts a RHIB training. This training is the last crucial practice before entering the search and rescue area.

In the morning, the Humanity 1 leaves the port of Burriana, Spain, with its new crew to head for the rescue area in international waters.

In the Spain port of Burriana, a crew change takes place. The crew members of the upcoming rescue operation with the Humanity 1 replace the crew members of the second operation.

In the afternoon the Humanity 1 leaves the port of Catania, Italy.

At 22:15, the 35 people rescued from distress at sea who were stuck on our rescue ship Humanity 1 in Catania, Sicily, are able to disembark. The majority had announced shortly beforehand that they had been on hunger strike for around 2 days, to draw attention to their fate.

The lawyer of SOS Humanity 1, Riccardo Campochiaro, begins legal proceedings at the Civil Court of Catania. The proceedings are intended to ensure that all survivors on board the Humanity 1 are granted their right to apply for asylum and thus allowed to go ashore.

A press conference is held at 13.00 at the Sicilian port of Catania. At the conference, SOS Humanity spokespeople declare the actions of the Italian authorities to be unlawful. They announce that they will take legal action against both the Italian ministers’ Decree and against the order to leave the port of Catania with 35 survivors on board.

At around 11:30 a.m., the Humanity 1 is ordered to leave the port of Catania with 35 survivors on board. The captain refuses, referring to his obligations under maritime law. 35 protection seekers on board the Humanity 1 are denied the right to an individual protection assessment by Italy. Pushing them back from Italian territorial waters constitutes an illegal pushback.

After midnight, the captain of the Humanity 1 and the head of operations of SOS Humanity are each questioned for up to 4 hours. After an illegal selection process, 143 rescued people are allowed to go ashore. One survivor collapses when being informed that he is not allowed to disembark and has to be emergency evacuated. 35 survivors are refused to leave the Humanity 1, in breach of international law.

In the evening, the Humanity 1 is instructed to enter the port of Catania, Italy. It is not an assignment of a place of safety for all 179 rescued people on board, the port is only to be approached "as the place for the rescue and assistance operations to people in emergency conditions and in precarious health conditions". The rescue ship arrives in Catania around midnight.

179 people aboard the Humanity 1 are waiting for a place of safety in international waters east of Sicily. Since the first rescue, 19 requests have been sent by the captain to all relevant authorities, including the rescue coordination centres of Malta and Italy. On deck, the survivors are exposed to increasing winds and growing waves.

179 survivors from 3 rescues on board the Humanity 1 are waiting for the assignment of a place of safety for over a week. The 11 requests made by the captain have so far been unsuccessful. In particular, the more than 100 unaccompanied minors are increasingly suffering from the uncertainty of their future. In addition to signs of physical violence, including scars from bullet wounds and cuts, the after-effects of traumatic experiences in their countries of origin and while fleeing are evident. In addition, a flu-like infection is spreading on board.

An unaccompanied minor suffering from severe abdominal pain has to be emergency evacuated by the Italian coast guard in the evening. There are now 179 rescued people on board the Humanity 1, around 100 of them unaccompanied minors.

All four requests made so far by the captain of the Humanity 1 for a place of safety remain without success. The Humanity 1 is in international waters off Sicily with 180 rescued people, waiting to be assigned a port of safety. Among the rescued are a baby and around 100 minors. Some people show signs of physical violence, including gunshot wounds and muscle pain from beatings. Survivors of the 2nd rescue say six people from their boat have been missing since the night before the rescue. They are presumed drowned.

While the registration of the 113 people rescued in the afternoon is underway, the Humanity 1 and the two speedboats still in the water set course for another distress call nearby. In the evening, as darkness falls, 22 people are rescued from an unseaworthy, overcrowded rubber dinghy. There are now 180 rescued people from three rescues safely onboard Humanity 1.

The crew of Humanity 1 rescues 113 people from an unseaworthy, overcrowded rubber dinghy in distress in the afternoon in a 2nd rescue. Among them are three women and a baby. There are now a total of 158 rescued people on board our rescue ship, around 100 of them minors, who are being cared for by the crew.

The crew of Humanity 1 rescues 45 people from a wooden boat in distress in international waters between Malta and Libya in the evening after nightfall and in calm seas. The 41 adults and 4 unaccompanied minors, all male, are now safely on board our rescue ship.

The Humanity 1 is on its way to the search and rescue area again. During the crossing to the operational area, our crew is busy with various pieces of training. Particularly important are the exercises with the speed boats (RHIBs) in order to be well-prepared for critical moments during the rescues. What such training sessions look like exactly is described in our blog, which you can find under Testify/Testimonies.

Quarantined and in training for over a week: The new 29-member crew is working at full speed to be prepared for the rescues of the 2nd rotation. Departure to the rescue area is planned for the end of the week. The training includes briefings on ship safety such as firefighting, evacuation at sea, rescue simulations, and first aid for the rescued on board. Those who would like to get a more detailed insight into life on board are welcome to look at our blog, which can be found under Testify/Testimonies.

The Humanity 1 has sailed to Palermo after disembarking the rescued in Taranto. In Palermo, the crew of the next rotation board the ship today to start their joint one-week quarantine on board in port. Meanwhile, the crew is already in basic preparations and training for the upcoming rotation, which is scheduled to start with the departure next week.

Throughout the day, all remaining 398 rescued people can go ashore in the port of Taranto, Italy. Injured people, including one person with a gunshot wound and one with a broken arm, leave the Humanity 1 first. Following next: a heavily pregnant woman with her family, unaccompanied teenagers, and women travelling alone. In the evening, all 414 survivors of 4 boats in distress have left the rescue ship. This concludes the rescues according to maritime law.

We have been allocated a place of safety for the 398 people on board Humanity 1, in Taranto, Italy. At the time of allocation, the Humanity 1 was still 42 hours sailing time away from Taranto. This means two more days of precarious water and food for all people on board.

The remaining 398 rescued people on board the Humanity 1 have still not been assigned a place of safety and some children as well as crew members have fallen ill. Almost 2 weeks have passed since the 1st rescue, and we have already made 18 requests – without success!

Fresh water and other supplies – such as baby milk powder – are running low on Humanity 1. During the day three babies in need of medical support were evacuated together with their families. Still no assignment of a place of safety.

The rescued people on Humanity 1 urgently need a safe place to go ashore. The medical situation on board is critical. in addition, due to critical weather conditions the Humanity 1 had to seek shelter off Sicily. 15 requests for the assignment of a place of safety have already been made!

All 207 people from the boat we were alerted to by Alarm Phone are safe on board the Humanity 1 since yesterday evening. There are now 415 survivors on board the Humanity 1 who are in urgent need of a place of safety.

Evening: After receiving an urgent distress call (pan pan relay) from Frontex aircraft Osprey 3, the Humanity 1 changed course to respond to the emergency. 25 people were rescued. In total, there are now 208 rescued people on board.

This morning, the crew of the Humanity 1 rescued 72 people from an unseaworthy wooden boat in international waters off Libya.

In the evening, our Humanity 1 crew rescued 111 people from a rubber boat in a joint effort with the Nadir of Resqship in international waters off the Libyan coast.