Malta ‘actively hindering rescue’ of 270 people in distress in SAR zone – NGOs

The fate of some 270 persons, including children, who are stranded in Malta’s Search and Rescue Area having fled Libya in 3 dinghies, remains in the balance as the AFM and passing ships ignore their pleas for help.

The three dinghies carrying 60, 100 and 110 people respectively, are adrift in the Maltese search and rescue region. They were spotted by Sea Watch’s Moonbird, a civilian monitoring aircraft.

NGO Alarm Phone has been tweeting about the grave situation faced by the passengers on the crowded boats, who have spent over 40 hours – one boat has been adrift for 60 – at sea after running out of drinking water and food.

🟥 #Moonbird has found the 3 boats with ~270 people in distress, @alarm_phone had been in contact with. There are no excuses: The merchant vessels #Maridive & #NordicStar, that are in the vicinity, must rescue. We can´t allow another easter of non assistance as last year. pic.twitter.com/xYM1plTNUQ

— Sea-Watch International (@seawatch_intl) April 2, 2021

The situation on board the unseaworthy vessels is dire, Alarm Phone says. People can barely move and some are fainting, it said.

The group of ~100 people South-West of Lampedusa keep calling us in panic. They say the waves are very high and they can hardly navigate. The ships Anna and NS Challenger are nearby and could rescue or shelter them. @guardiacostiera & @Armed_Forces_MT don't let the people drown! https://t.co/1oyyGQWTQj

— Alarm Phone (@alarm_phone) April 2, 2021

Several passing ships have ignored their pleas for help, in so doing flouting international law.

Despite having alerted the Maltese authorities repeatedly, Alarm Phone says no state actor has intervened to assist the persons in distress.

Sea Watch International has accused the Maltese authorities of “actively hindering the rescue of the people, instead of coordinating it.”
“This behaviour is criminal,” it said.