SOS MEDITERRANEE is an international humanitarian organization dedicated to saving lives at sea. Founded in 2015, the initiative emerged as a response to the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Central Mediterranean, as well as the discontinuation of Mare Nostrum and the subsequent EU disengagement from search and rescue operations in the area.

SOS MEDITERRANEE is an apolitical and non-confessional humanitarian organization structured as an international network present in France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. Our dedication to humanitarian principles and commitment to human dignity has earned us international recognition and support.

SOS MEDITERRANEE operates primarily through its vessel, the Ocean Viking, a search and rescue ship equipped to respond swiftly to distress calls, and to provide assistance, protection and rescue operations for people in distress at sea.

All operations are carried out in strict accordance with international maritime and humanitarian law. SOS MEDITERRANEE launched its search and rescue mission in the Central Mediterranean based on the legal duty to render assistance to people in distress at sea, and to disembark them in a place of safety, where their rights are ensured, their needs can be met and where their lives are no longer under threat.

SOS MEDITERRANEE was established by a group of European citizens, including seafarers and humanitarians, who were deeply concerned about the rising death toll among people attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in search of safety and a better future.

SOS MEDITERRANEE has cultivated a robust network of dedicated volunteers and influential supporters from diverse backgrounds, who donate their time and expertise to contribute to the organization’s search and rescue efforts, fundraising campaigns and awareness-raising initiatives. Their dedication to solidarity has been a driving force behind our operations.