Annual Report 2023

Titelseite des Annual Report 2023 vor Wellen im Hintergrund
SOS Humanity

In our just published annual report 2023 – for the first time also available in English – we provide an overview of our activities, challenges, and successes in the past year. It was another year in which the humanitarian crisis for refugees crossing the Mediterranean did not improve. On the contrary: Our crew documented numerous human rights violations and witnessed the direct impact of European isolation policies firsthand. Once again, civil search and rescue was indispensable. Our annual report 2023 summarizes the key events of the past year.

Laura Gorriahn (Chair of the Board) and Till Rummenhohl (General Director)
“Over 2,500 people drowned in the Central Mediterranean in 2023 – more than at any time since 2017. This is partly due to the obstruction of non-governmental rescue ships by Italian authorities which has increased massively under the far-right Meloni government.”

What did we achieve?

  • missions
    6
  • rescues
    24
  • people rescued
    1.101
  • rescued minors
    256
  • unaccompanied minors
    201
  • rescued women
    136
  • pregnant women
    9
  • interviews with survivors on board
    10
  • volunteer groups on land
    8
  • petition signatures
    200.000

Browse through our annual report:!

Obstruction of civil search and rescue

Distant ports

In February 2023, the new “Piantedosi Law” came into effect in Italy, regulating non-governmental search and rescue. It stipulates that rescue ships must proceed to the assigned port immediately after the first rescue – regardless of other distress cases. Often these ports are far away from the area of operation. In 2023, the Humanity 1 had to cover 11,163 additional kilometres in 2023, losing 33.5 days in the operational area. In April 2023, SOS Humanity filed a lawsuit in the Civil Court of Rome against this systematic obstruction.

Visualisierung weit entfernter zugewiesener Hafen Livorno
SOS Humanity

Unlawful detention of Humanity 1

The “Piantedosi Law” also enables the detention of civil rescue ships on spurious grounds. For example, the Humanity 1 was detained in December 2023 after a rescue operation, even though the crew had acted in accordance with international law. SOS Humanity filed a lawsuit against the detention in December 2023.

The EU’s closed-door policies

The injustices at the EU’s external borders have worsened since 2023 due to the reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) and the EU’s new agreement with Tunisia as well as the EU’s cooperation with Libya. SOS Humanity published survivor stories to highlight the problematic nature of these collaborations.

Humanity 1 strahlt auf Boot mit Flüchtenden in der Nacht
Raphael Schuhmacher / SOS Humanity
Häufig finden Rettungen in der Nacht statt. Die schlechte Sicht erschwert den Einsatz und birgt zusätzliche Risiken. / Rescues often take place at night. Poor visibility makes rescue operations difficult and presents additional risks.
Arbeiten an der Humanity 1 in der Werft
Leon Salner / SOS Humanity
Werft: Wochenlang arbeiten Ehrenamtliche an der Erneuerung der Humanity 1. / Shipyard: For weeks, volunteers work on the refurbishment of the Humanity 1.
Gerettete zeigen ein gemaltes Bild: "SOS Humanity, Thank you
Max Hirzel / SOS Humanity
An Deck der Humanity 1 erholen sich die Geretteten und zeigen Erleichterung. / On the deck of the Humanity 1, survivors recover and receive care.
Die Crew vor dem unrechtmäßig festgesetzte Schiff im Hafen und Banner: "Free Humanity 1"
Camilla Kranzusch / SOS Humanity
Ende Dezember wird die Humanity 1 ungerechtfertigt in Italien festgesetzt. / In late December, the Humanity 1 is unjustifiably detained in Italy.
Gerettete gehen in Rettungsdecken von Bord
Maria Giulia Trombini / SOS Humanity
Ausschiffung: Die Freude ist groß, wenn die Geretteten endlich an einem sicheren Ort an Land gehen können. / Disembarkation: The relief is great when those rescued can finally go ashore in a place of safety.
ASB verleiht der Crew der Humanity 1 den Annemarie-Renger-Preis
Hannibal Hanschke / ASB
Auszeichnung: Der ASB verleiht der Crew der Humanity 1 im Herbst 2023 den Annemarie-Renger-Preis. / Awards: In autumn 2023, ASB awards the crew of Humanity 1 with the Annemarie-Renger-Prize.
Mehrere Hände halten sich am einem Griff vom RHIB fest
Judith Buethe / SOS Humanity

Strong partner organisations

With the number of deaths in the Mediterranean rising significantly in 2023, SOS Humanity also found itself in crisis: amongst other things, the expenditures for fuel, food, medicines, harbour fees and legal support caused a considerable funding gap. We were only able to overcome this with the help of our strong partner organisations. Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone for their commitment: the Humanity 1 would not have been able to save the 1,101 people from distress without you.

Vier weibliche RHIB-Crew-Mitglieder an Bord der Humanity 1 mit gelben Helmen in der Hand.
Danilo Campailla / SOS Humanity

Women in rescue operations

In the summer of 2023, for the first time, the majority of the crew on the Humanity 1 were women – a rarity in the male-dominated maritime world. Read the interview with the female RHIB crew here!

Viviana, Search and Rescue Coordinator
“I am very happy to have the opportunity to work with these women, who are so dedicated and highly qualified – and very strong. Physically strong, but above all emotionally strong – with brains and hearts.”
Personen auf einer Demo in Berlin mit Schildern in den SOS Humanity Farben zum Thema "Saving Lives is not a Crime".
Wanda Proft / SOS Humanity

Volunteering on land

They raise awareness and their voices against the deaths in the Mediterranean: SOS Humanity’s volunteers are an indispensable pillar of civil society engagement. In 2023, the number of volunteer groups grew to eight with a new group in Heidelberg. Through joint statements at protests they publicly called for more humanity at Europe’s external borders, including at the “Stop GEAS!” day of action in Cologne, Kiel and Berlin.

Bilder in Ausstellung auf der Humanity 1 beim Open Ship
Wanda Proft / SOS Humanity

Welcome aboard the Humanity 1!

Open Ship: In September 2023, the Humanity 1 was opened to the general public for the first time. For around two weeks, our rescue ship was open to visitors in the port of Syracuse, Sicily. Crew members provided guided tours of the Humanity 1 and a comprehensive photo exhibition was displayed.

SOS Sessions

For the third year in a row, this charity concert took place in support of SOS Humanity. This time, it was hosted at the concert venue Huxleys Neue Welt in Berlin. Deichkind, ÄTNA, Megaloh, Josi Miller and MINE brought a fantastic two-hour live show to the audience that was joined by many more people on the livestream. The evening was hosted by Hadnet Tesfai. Almost 40,000 euros were raised and the stars drew additional attention to the plight in the Mediterranean.

Tatort Mittelmeer

In 2023, the on-stage reading Tatort Mittelmeer (‘Crime Scene Mediterranean’) took place at the Thalia Theatre in Hamburg. Ten on-screen detectives read testimonies from the crew and survivors shedding light on how the Mediterranean is a crime scene. These included: Meret Becker, Lucas Gregorowicz, Wolfram Koch, Peter Kurth, Nina Kunzendorf, Bjarne Mädel, Heike Makatsch, Oliver Mommsen, Daniel Sträßer and Hans-Jochen Wagner. The reading was accompanied by music from pianist Aeham Ahmad.

Hadnet Tesfai mit #HumanityForAll-T-Shirt
Hadnet Tesfai, moderator, patron of the Humanity 1
"I support SOS Humanity – in the hope that their rescue ship Humanity 1 will save many more people."
Philipp Grütering, Deichkind singer
"They display a lot professionalism in the Mediterranean. My family and I have been donating for years."
Schauspielerin Heike Makatsch schaut in die Kamera
Heike Makatsch, actress and ambassador for SOS Humanity
"We are all one and will not let our brothers and sisters drown in the sea on their harrowing journeys."
Peter Kurth liest bei Tatort Mittelmeer
Peter Kurth, actor
"Tatort Mittelmeer is about giving a voice to those not listened to."
Bjarne Mädel mit #HumanityForAll-T-Shirt
Bjarne Mädel, actor
"Showing humanity is never wrong to me, it is never going in the wrong direction."
Oliver Mommsen trägt Merchandise von SOS Humanity
Oliver Mommsen, actor
"We won’t let anyone drown! There are no open questions, there's nothing to explain."
Daniel Sträßer mit Papierschiff mit #HumanityForAll in den Händen
Daniel Sträßer, actor
"Humanity means giving [...] people a face, a name and a voice."

Despite the escalation of EU isolation policies and the obstruction of civil search and rescue, SOS Humanity will continue undeterred as long as rescues are needed. To learn more about our activities, challenges, and successes in 2023, read our annual report here!

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