Life Support | 28 Rescued People Disembark in Ortona, Abruzzo

This afternoon at the Italian port of Ortona, in Abruzzo, EMERGENCY’s search and rescue ship Life Support disembarked 28 people who had been rescued on Thursday 30 July, in international waters within the Maltese SAR zone.

“We arrived at the port of Ortona after four days at sea,” comments Jonathan Nanì La Terra, Head of Mission on board Life Support. “We would like to point out that assigning ports so far away causes further suffering to people who are already in highly vulnerable conditions. We wish the very best for each and every one of them. We are now ready to set sail again for the Central Mediterranean.”

Among the 28 men and boys rescued by EMERGENCY are four unaccompanied minors. Their countries of origin include Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan: countries impacted by conflict, instability and severe economic and humanitarian crises.

One of the rescued men shared his experience with our team whilst on board:

“I’m originally from South Sudan, my life has always been marked by civil war. Over the years I’ve seen my father and four of my brothers die, killed by this brutal conflict. In 2022, I too was the victim of an armed attack and decided to leave my country for good. I crossed through Sudan and lived in Libya for four years, amidst violence, discrimination and detention, attempting several times to reach Europe. I’ve finally made it; I’m here in Italy, primarily in search of protection and safety, and with a very clear aim: to try to transform all the pain I’ve experienced into a message of peace and non-violence.”

Life Support’s 44th mission was marked by the constant and significant presence of Libyan assets, in some cases visibly armed, in the international waters of the Central Mediterranean; on several occasions, the Life Support crew were ordered to head north, forcing them to move away from the SAR zone. EMERGENCY points out that this conduct within international waters undermines the ability to comply with international law and provide assistance to people whose lives are at risk at sea.

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Life Support has completed its 44th mission in the Central Mediterranean. Since December 2022, it has rescued a total of 3,538 people.