‚We are tired of telling shipwreck survivors and victims of torture in Libya that there is nothing we can do for them. We are tired of seeing people losing their lives at sea, and of seeing that nobody cares. We are tired of spending hours on the phone with people in distress without being able to reassure them that rescue is coming, and hours trying to reach authorities who neglect their duties to rescue boats in distress. We are tired, but we will not give up.‘
Facebook:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2776173175990241&id=1525906057683632
Summary here:
?Six shipwrecks and almost 200 deaths off #Libya in September!
Hundreds of people have died in the Central Med over just a few days &
again European authorities keep silent. Those who survived are alive
only thanks to the efforts of fishermen.
As in August, most shipwrecks that happened in September were not
recognised by any authority. With the exception of a few, we only heard
of these tragic deaths at sea because traumatised survivors or brave
fishermen reached out to Alarm Phone to make their voices heard.
IOM reported that on 14/09 a boat was rescued by the so-called Libyan
Coast Guard. They arrived too late for 22 people who died after the boat
capsized. The 45 survivors were imprisoned in the detention centre of
Zawya.
?2nd shipwreck: At least 20 people feared to have drowned.
On 17/09, a white rubber boat capsized off Zawiya . There were around 75
people on board. A survivors told us that at least 20 people went
missing and probably lost their life, including several women and
children.
?3rd shipwreck: 3 people died off Garabulli.
On 19/09 a fisherman found a deflating boat with 54 people on board. He
could rescue only 21 people & had to leave 33 people behind. Another
fisherman later rescued 30 people but it was too late for 3 people who
had already drowned.
?4th shipwreck: two people died in Zuwara port whilst escaping arrest.
On 19/09 a fisherman rescued 102 people off Zuwara Whilst the fisherman
rescued all the shipwrecked, two of them died after reaching the Zuwara
port when trying to escape arrest and imprisonment.
?5th shipwreck: 111 people missing, feared dead!
The most lethal shipwreck reported in 2020 occurred on 21/09. More than
110 people lost their life after a tube burst & deflated. Only 9 people
survived by clinging to a plank & were rescued by a fisherman after many
days at sea.
?A shipwreck in the making:
On 22/09, a boat in distress with 86 people alerted #AlarmPhone. It took
~12 hours for the so-called Libyan Coast Guard to intervene. The people
said that 4 people fell in the water but it is unclear if they are
missing or returned to the boat.
?Another shipwreck in the making: 15 people drowned off Al Khoms.
~115 people in distress called #AlarmPhone on 24/09. Vessel Cape Guinea
sheltered them for ~12h but didn’t rescue. #Seabird monitored its
interception by the so-called Libyan Coastguard but 15 people had
drowned
?6th Shipwreck: 16 people died off Al Khoms.
On 25/09 IOM reported that a fisherman had rescued a boat in distress
off Khoms. The fisherman rescued 22 of the 38 people in distress. The
remains of 3 people were retrieved, whilst 13 people are missing.
The several shipwrecks that happened in the past days are the result of
the violent border regime financed by Europe. They are the result of the
confiscation of the much needed rescue ships and of the grounding of
Moonbird. They are the result of the lethal rescue gap in the Med.
We express our solidarity with families & friends of the dead and the
missing. We are devastated that we were not able to do more & prevent
these losses. We promise to continue in our fight against Europe’s
deadly borders and for a just world where everyone is free to move.