Almost 90 migrants aboard a severely overcrowded boat adrift in the Mediterranean Sea were rescued by a humanitarian group.
An Italian NGO, ‘Emergency’, deployed a rescue ship to save the 87 people stranded in the sea on Friday evening.
Departing from Zawiya, Libya, the migrants had been adrift for 20 hours without food or water, their boat dangerously overcrowded and deflating tubes exacerbating the dire situation.
Upon arrival, the rescue crew found the vessel taking on water, prompting swift action to avert a potential tragedy.
Among the group were a pregnant woman and fourteen unaccompanied minors.
“We immediately prioritized the most vulnerable cases: a pregnant woman in her fourth month and a diabetic boy,” said a nurse from the rescue ship.
Following the completion of the rescue operation and notification of the relevant authorities, the port of Naples was designated for disembarkation.
Their arrival is scheduled for Monday morning.
The 87 rescued individuals hailed from countries grappling with conflict and severe economic, political, or social crises, including Sudan, Nigeria, Niger, South Sudan, Eritrea, Bangladesh, Mali, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, Chad, Cameroon, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast.
The rescue vessel operates with a crew of seafarers, doctors, mediators, and rescuers, and has been active in the central Mediterranean since December 2022.
Over this period, it has successfully rescued a total of 1,631 individuals.
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