Rescue Mission Saves Stranded Migrants from Oil Platform

Thirty-two migrants stranded on an oil platform near Tunisia have been rescued after facing critical conditions for several days, highlighting the urgent need for improved maritime rescue operations.

Thirty-two migrants, including women and children, were successfully rescued by the NGO ship Sea Watch after spending several agonizing days stranded on a British Gas-managed oil platform in the Mediterranean. The distressing situation unfolded when the migrants attempted to cross the sea and ended up shipwrecked, lacking food and water, as confirmed by the migrant rescue organization Mediterranea. Tragically, reports indicate that one individual died during their ordeal.

The rescue operation occurred on Tuesday afternoon, with the migrants receiving care aboard the Aurora ship. However, Sea Watch stressed that their final destination remained uncertain, as no nearby country had assigned a safe port for disembarkation. This situation has been further complicated by the absence of intervention from any European nation, despite the dire circumstances that left the migrants stranded in international waters bordering Tunisia and Malta's search and rescue zones.

The migrants initially contacted Alarm Phone, an emergency hotline for individuals in distress at sea, detailing their critical condition after several days without food. A video shared on social media depicted a young man on the platform, speaking in Tigrinya, pleading for assistance as he described their suffering from hunger and the cold. He recounted how they left Libya five days prior, only to have their dinghy capsize.

According to the UN, over 210,000 individuals attempted to cross the Central Mediterranean in 2023, with more than 60,000 intercepted and returned to Africa, while nearly 2,000 tragically lost their lives at sea. The continuing flow of migrants illustrates the urgent humanitarian crisis that demands global attention and action.