Published 03:24 IST, August 31st 2020
Banksy funded rescue ship Louise Michel transfers over 150 migrants to another vessel
The migrants have been transferred to a German NGO-funded ship Sea-Watch 4, which was already carrying nearly 200 rescued refugees from before.
Over 150 migrants, who were on board Banksy's Louise Michel rescue vessel, have been transferred to another ship after the former French Navy boat called for help as it was carrying more than its safe capacity. The migrants have been transferred to a German NGO-funded ship Sea-Watch 4, which was already carrying nearly 200 rescued refugees from before. Sea-Watch 4 is now carrying 353 people on board, waiting close to the European coast for a safe port.
Refugees on board Sea-Watch 4 are being treated for dehydration, traumatic injuries, hypothermia, and fuel burns as they have been at the sea for days.
The United Nations' human rights body and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) had earlier called for safe disembarkation of more than 400 refugees, who are currently on board of three vessels in the Central Mediterranean, including Louise Michel and Sea-Watch 4.
Louise Michel, which a boat funded by the British street artist Banksy, had earlier called for urgent help saying that she was unable to manoeuver due to her overcrowded deck. The Italian coastguard later evacuated 49 of her most-vulnerable passengers and the one dead body it was carrying on a raft by her side.
Meanwhile, some 27 people who had departed from Libya have been aboard a commercial vessel Maersk Etienne since being rescued on August 5.
UN on the crisis
The UN agencies issued a joint statement on August 29, calling for urgent transfer of these refugees to dry land. The agencies also slammed the EU countries stating that lack of agreement on a regional disembarkation mechanism cannot be an excuse to deny vulnerable people a port of safety and the assistance they need.
The UN agency for migrants said, "Any delays could jeopardise the safety of all people on board, including its crew members. With relatively fewer NGO vessels compared to previous years, the gap is being increasingly filled by commercial vessels. It is vital that they are permitted to disembark rescued passengers promptly, as, without such timely processes, shipmasters of commercial vessels may be deterred from attending to distress calls for fear of being stranded at sea for weeks on end"
Updated 03:24 IST, August 31st 2020