A tragedy that could have been avoided

According to a statement from German charity RESQSHIP, their vessel NADIR responded to a mayday alert issued by the EU border agency Frontex. They found 62 people adrift in international waters under Malta’s jurisdiction. The migrants had departed from western Libya three days earlier in an overloaded rubber dinghy with a broken engine.

By the time NADIR arrived, two children aged 3 and 4 were already dead. A third person found unconscious died shortly after, and survivors reported a fourth person had drowned during the journey. The group included nationals from Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Nigeria—many of whom were suffering from fuel burns and dehydration.

The AP reports,

“This tragedy could have been avoided. It is yet another example of the failure of European migration policies,” RESQSHIP said in a statement. “Instead of coordinating support and facilitating safe passages, Europe is abandoning defenceless people – with deadly consequences. Children dying of thirst on the move is an inexcusable political failure.”

An Italian coast guard vessel arrived four hours later. They evacuated six people in critical condition, including two babies and their mothers.