Whether it’s the day after the rescue or upon hearing about the disembarkation, women are often the ones who initiate songs to celebrate the joy of being alive, amidst a journey that has nonetheless left them wounded and whose outcome is more than uncertain. Tess Barthes, photographer and videographer aboard the Ocean Viking in late January 2024, filmed these moments of intense joy and tells us about them.
In light of the increasing death toll in the Central Mediterranean since early 2023, coinciding with the adoption of a new law by Italian authorities and the systematic assignment of distant ports to humanitarian rescue ships, we call on the Italian government to bring an immediate halt to the obstruction of our lifesaving activities at sea.
On February 6th, the team onboard OceanViking witnessed a series of erratic, aggressive and unlawful manoeuvres and operations of the Libyan Coast Guard in international waters in the Mediterranean. After this sequence, the Ocean Viking was detained on the basis of what the same Libyan Coast Guard reported to the Italian authorities about that day.
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.
Ousman* was arbitrarily detained 43 days in Libya after being intercepted at sea. At only 16 years old, he already faced extreme hardships. The young boy has been travelling alone since he is 14....
