Doctors Without Borders reported that a humanitarian rescue ship recovered the bodies of 11 migrants off the coast of Libya after rescuing over 160 individuals from boats near Libyan shores.
The organization’s search and rescue vessel, Geo Barents, rescued 146 migrants in two operations and found another 20 in a separate boat.
However, they also recovered 11 bodies spotted floating on the sea surface by a surveillance aircraft.
The group Sea-Watch, whose aircraft witnessed the bodies, attempted to contact the Libyan coast guard to retrieve the bodies but received no response.
They highlighted that such tragedies occur frequently in the Mediterranean Sea, often unnoticed.
The United Nations has documented over 20,000 deaths and disappearances in the central Mediterranean since 2014, making it the deadliest migration route in the world.
Italy has urged Tunisia and Libya to make more efforts to prevent potential migrants from setting sail.
It has also imposed strict restrictions on rescue ship operations, claiming they encourage people to head towards Europe, a claim refuted by charitable organizations.
Further tightening restrictions on rescue ships, Italy requested that the Geo Barents vessel take the latest group of migrants to the northern port of Genoa, over 650 nautical miles from their location and far from the more accessible ports in nearby Sicily.
This directive will significantly delay the provision of assistance to survivors who have already endured significant hardships.
