Ahmad 
Yesterday, Friday, Doctors Without Borders succeeded in carrying out a risky rescue mission off the Libyan coast, saving 160 migrants and recovering 11 bodies from the Mediterranean Sea.
The operation took place during the early hours of the morning, as the organization’s “Geo Parents” rescue ship was able to carry out two rescue operations in a row, and 146 people were initially rescued, followed by the discovery of 20 other migrants on a separate boat.
A Sea-Watch surveillance plane also spotted the bodies of 11 migrants who were later recovered, according to Reuters reports, and showed that the Libyan Coast Guard ignored Sea-Watch’s calls to retrieve the bodies.
Doctors Without Borders stated in a statement on the “X” platform that many lives are constantly being lost in these waters on a “desperate journey towards safety,” stressing the need to stop this humanitarian disaster.
For its part, Italy previously called for more efforts by Libya and Tunisia to curb this flow, and also imposed strict restrictions on search and rescue operations, considering these operations as a factor in encouraging risky crossings of the sea.
Illegal immigration has recorded several serious incidents since the beginning of the year. On March 14, 2024, at least sixty migrants were lost in the Mediterranean after sailing from Zawiya in Libya. The survivors were recovered by the Ocean Viking ship, affiliated with a charitable rescue organization.
On April 23, 2022, 101 people were rescued in northwestern Libya while trying to reach Europe by sea, and the rescue operation was carried out by the “Geo Parents” ship.
The United Nations has recorded more than 20,000 deaths since 2014 on this dangerous route, which confirms the danger of the journey across the Mediterranean.
Libyan and European officials meet to enhance border security in western Libya