Libya: Armed men disrupt migrant sea rescue

Armed men attacked a small wooden boat carrying migrants off the coast of Libya, as shown in a video released by the rescue ship of the humanitarian organization SOS Méditerranée.

The harrowing footage captures the moment rescuers approach as the bandits cause panic aboard the makeshift boat.

Valeria Taurino, the director of the NGO, said the attackers were on board two unidentified rubber boats. "During the rescue operation, two unidentified boats arrived, two armed people with masked faces boarded the wooden boat, causing panic among the migrants who became frightened and threw themselves into the water. Our crew quickly rescued them, but one of them collapsed while boarding the Ocean Viking..."

SOS Méditerranée reported that 93 people were on board the boat, including one person who suffered from hypothermia and emotional distress. This week, NGOs have rescued more than 300 people, while denouncing the lack of government involvement.

"States have not deployed rescue ships in the central Mediterranean for several years, which has led to an increase in the presence of armed people and violence against shipwreck victims and humanitarian personnel," deplored Valeria Taurino.

Migrant departures from Africa increase with the arrival of summer, which offers better sailing conditions. However, the Central Mediterranean migration route remains one of the most perilous in the world. In 2024, the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded the tragic deaths of 884 migrants at sea, including 48 children.