20 organisations ask for Sea Watch rescue boat

“It’s been 6 days on Sea Watch. There is 47 people on board, 8 of which are underage. These 47 human beings are being rescued in the Mediterranean Sea, where hundreds of children, men and women have drowned. They are now hostages of yet another political dispute between countries. In fact, no country has accepted yet Sea Watch’s request for a safe port to disembark, ignoring International regulations and key humanitarian awareness.
We demand Italy and Europe to respect the Law, and to promptly allow for these people to disembark in a safe port, to finally have a destination to reach.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, member States are bound to their duty to provide assistance to people in need at sea, as promptly as possible. Protecting and saving lives must be the priority; these people, and in particular the most vulnerable ones such as women and children, must not undergo any further suffering and have the right to the humanitarian assistance and care they need.
Italy and Europe must take responsibility for facing and preventing these tragedies at sea. It is crucial to provide safe routes, away from the crisis and transit areas, so that thousands of people will not have to rely on smugglers to cross the sea, putting their lives at serious risk. Indeed, the lack of legal measures, increases human trafficking.”

After another rescue mission, Sea Watch is still waiting for allowance into a safe port to disembark.

The appealing organizations: A Buon Diritto, Actionaid, Amnesty International Italia, ARCI, ASGI, Associazione Papa Giovanni XXIII, CIR, CNCA, Emergency, Focus Casa dei Diritti Sociali, Intersos, Legambiente, Medecins Du Monde Missione Italia, Medici per i Diritti Umani, Medici, Senza Frontiere, Mediterranean Hope Programma Rifugiati e Migranti, Oxfam, Salesiani Per il Sociale, Save the Children Italia, Terre Des Hommes.