Tragic Rescue Operation Reveals Dire Risks for Migrants in the Mediterranean
A tragic rescue operation unfolded over the weekend as volunteers from the German NGO RESQSHIP recovered the bodies of three sisters — aged 9, 11, and 17 — who drowned while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in an overcrowded rubber dinghy. The girls had fled war-torn Sudan with their family, hoping to reach the Italian island of Lampedusa, reports 24brussels.
The vessel, which departed Zuwara, Libya, on Friday night, was carrying 65 refugees when it encountered rough seas and began taking on water. “The boat was really overcrowded and partially deflated,” said RESQSHIP rescuer Barbara Satore. “It was a pitch-dark night with 1.5-meter waves, and the boat had been taking on water for hours.”
According to Satore, the rescue was triggered by an alert from the Alarm Phone network. The bodies were discovered in a pool of water and fuel at the bottom of the dinghy after most passengers had been evacuated. Their mother, in shock, refused to leave her daughters’ side aboard the rescue vessel.
Among the survivors were the girls’ brother, several pregnant women, and children from Sudan, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. Four individuals required urgent medical evacuation.
This incident highlights the deadly risks faced by migrants crossing the Mediterranean. The International Organization for Migration estimates that over 30,000 individuals have died attempting this perilous journey since 2014. Many migrants suffer abuse and extortion by smugglers in Libya, where they are frequently held in inhumane conditions before being forced onto unseaworthy boats.
The United Nations has accused the EU-funded Libyan Coast Guard of complicity in human trafficking, torture, and enslavement, raising serious questions about Europe’s role in managing migration flows.
This tragedy adds to the growing toll of displacement and desperation driven by conflict in Sudan, where civil war has forced millions to flee. As humanitarian organizations continue to call for safe migration pathways and accountability, the loss of these three young lives underscores the urgent need for international action.
