Tag: Search and rescue

Hop aboard a Bell 407 helicopter, and traverse the Rocky Mountain backcountry with some of Colorado's bravest search and rescuers.

Amsterdam/Valencia, 17 June 2018 – Following this week’s political stand-off over the fate of people rescued in the Mediterranean, the international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) denounces Italy’s closure of its ports to prevent 630 rescued people from disembarking and European governments’ choice of political point-scoring over saving lives at sea. “The men, women, and children on board the Aquarius have fled conflict and poverty, and have survived horrific abuse in Libya. “We are grateful to Spain for stepping in, even as Italian and other European governments have shamefully failed in their humanitarian responsibilities and placed politics over the lives of vulnerable people.” Ahead of the European Council meeting next week, MSF calls on European governments to put human lives first. Italy closes its ports and plays with the lives of 629 rescued persons Over the weekend of 9 and 10 June, the Aquarius search and rescue vessel, operated by SOS Méditerranée in partnership with MSF, rescued more than 200 people and received an additional 400 people from Italian naval and coastguard ships. MSF continued to press the Italian authorities to authorise disembarkation in the closest safe port as stipulated under international maritime law. Despite MSF’s concerns about the humanitarian and medical impact of the sea journey to Valencia, the Italian authorities instructed Aquarius on 12 June to transfer 524 people back to Italian ships and embark with the remaining 106 rescued on a four-day journey to Spain. “Italian authorities shamefully closed their ports to 630 rescued people and moved them around the sea for political point-scoring,” says Kleijer. Many European governments have not prioritised saving lives of vulnerable migrants and refugees at sea. “Europeans governments must appreciate the importance of search and rescue. As long as governments fail to fulfil their responsibilities, the teams on board the Aquarius will continue to conduct search and rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean.”