EMERGENCY Condemns Overnight Drone Attacks on Global Sumud Flotilla

Life Support, the search and rescue vessel operated by the NGO EMERGENCY, is accompanying the Global Sumud Flotilla as an observer ship and to provide medical and logistical support. Last night, Life Support witnessed drone attacks on several boats in the fleet.

EMERGENCY strongly condemns this and all acts of violence, especially considering they were carried out against a humanitarian mission: the Global Sumud Flotilla is the largest civilian, maritime humanitarian mission to bring aid to Gaza and open a humanitarian corridor.

“Last night, while sailing in international waters, Life Support witnessed the attack on several boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla. From the bridge, we saw a large number of drones approaching from different directions, and the flashes of explosions hitting several boats,” explains Anabel Montes Mier, Head of Mission on board Life Support. “The Flotilla has informed us that no one was injured, but some boats were damaged. We would like to remind everyone that this is a non-violent, humanitarian mission and we strongly condemn any act of violence or attack on the Flotilla.”

EMERGENCY’s ship, which in recent days has been providing technical and medical assistance to some of the boats in the Flotilla, is now also starting to provide water and food to other vessels, with the first delivery of this kind made via its own RHIB to the Alma, which in turn will distribute the goods to the 11 boats that had requested them.

As Luca Radaelli, a nurse on board Life Support, explains: “Despite what happened last night, we are continuing to do our job: we are currently distributing water, food and basic necessities to the boats in the Flotilla, and one of our RHIBs is in the water to respond to a medical request unrelated to last night’s attack. In addition, we are available to intervene with our second RHIB to provide technical or medical support to boats in need, as we have been doing in recent days.”

Anabel Montes Mier continues, “In Gaza, the population is facing an extreme scenario that goes beyond international law and continues to worsen day after day. There is a lack of food, water and medicines, and bombings and evacuation orders continue. Our colleagues working in the clinics in Al-Qarara and Al-Mawasi are bearing witness to this on a daily basis. That is why EMERGENCY could not fail to participate in this mission, which is perhaps the largest maritime humanitarian mission promoted by civil society in the face of political inertia and inadequacy.”

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Since December 2022, EMERGENCY’s search and rescue ship Life Support has rescued over 3,000 people in 36 missions in the central Mediterranean Sea. As part of the Flotilla, the ship sails with 29 staff, including doctors, nurses, rescuers, cultural mediators, logisticians and crew.

EMERGENCY has been in Gaza since August 2024 and currently works in its own healthcare clinic in al-Qarara, Khan Younis, providing first aid, basic medical and surgical care for adults and children, reproductive health outpatient services, post-operative nursing follow-up care, stabilisation of medical and surgical emergencies, and hospital transfers. The NGO also continues to support the primary healthcare clinic set up by the local organisation CFTA (Culture & Free Thought Association) in al-Mawasi, where patients receive basic medical care, medications, and the dressings needed for post-surgical care.