In a heartbreaking turn of events, a five-month-old girl was discovered dead on Tuesday during a rescue operation for migrants in the Mediterranean. The infant, along with her mother and sister, were brought to the Italian island of Lampedusa after being found aboard a distressed boat.
The Humanity 1 search and rescue ship encountered a boat in distress on Tuesday morning, located in waters between Tunisia and Italy. The vessel had departed from Sfax two days prior and was carrying 45 individuals, none of whom were equipped with life jackets. Among the passengers was the lifeless body of a baby girl, discovered upon the NGO ship’s arrival.
Shortly after this initial rescue, the Humanity 1 came across a second boat carrying 40 people, many of whom were unaccompanied minors. According to a statement from SOS Humanity, the iron boat was adrift in the open sea, lacking maneuverability and rescue equipment. Like the first vessel, this one had also departed from Sfax.
As a result of these rescues, the Humanity 1 now accommodates a total of 185 migrants on board, all saved within a 24-hour timeframe. Some of the rescued individuals are reportedly exhausted, suffering from seasickness, and sustaining fuel burns.
The bodies of the deceased infant, her mother, and her three-year-old sister were evacuated to Lampedusa by the Italian coast guard. In a poignant gesture, the crew of SOS Humanity observed a minute’s silence to honor the memory of the deceased baby.
Despite requests to the Italian Rescue Coordination Center for a closer port, the ship continued its journey towards the Italian port of Livorno for disembarkation, as of Wednesday.
In a separate operation, the Ocean Viking, operated by the charity ship SOS Mediterranee, rescued 41 individuals from a distressed wooden boat off the coast of Libya. Most of the rescued migrants were Syrians, including two minors. One person was suffering from hypothermia, and several others had sustained fuel burns.
The tragedy underscores the perilous nature of the Mediterranean Sea crossing, which remains the most hazardous migration route globally, according to the UN migration agency, IOM. Despite efforts by Tunisian authorities to intercept and return migrants, and Italy’s tightening laws on non-governmental rescue operations, the flow of migrants attempting the crossing persists. However, the number of arrivals in Italy by sea has significantly decreased this year compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Italian interior ministry.