Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is set to join Sea-Watch onboard their new vessel ‘Sea-Watch 4’, to carry out life-saving operations in the central Mediterranean.
This cooperation was established to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the perpetuating cycles of abuse in Libya, and policies of deliberate non-assistance.
Media sources indicated that Sea-Watch 4 which will work to rescue migrants, will have small rubber rescue boats on board, in addition to a medical team from MSF, accompanying the ship’s crew.
“No human being should be left to drown, to sink beneath the waves,” said Oliver Behn, MSF Director of Operations. “No human being should be forced to endure torture and suffering. Yet this is the consequence of criminal dereliction of duty by European governments.”
“As a medical humanitarian organisation, we at MSF acknowledge the challenges presented by COVID-19; however, we see that recent state measures to discourage or block lifesaving activities in Mediterranean – cloaked in public health rhetoric – are reckless and politically motivated,” Behn added.