(ANSA) - PARIS, JUL 19 - Teams of the International Federation of the Red Cross (Ficr) will join the crew of SOS Méditerranée from August on board the OceanViking, the humanitarian ship that rescues migrants in the Mediterranean. On board, it is specified in a note, there will be doctors, a midwife and health personnel. In addition to medical support on board, the Ficr will also provide material help, such as food, clothes, unhygienic products but also psychological support to "particularly vulnerable" people; as unaccompanied minors and victims of human trafficking. La Ficrlancia also made an emergency appeal for two million Swiss Franchisers (1.8 million euros) to support the operation. The number of migrants who died at sea trying to reach Europe has more than doubled this year,according to what was reported in mid-July by IOM, the international organization for migration, which calls on member states to take urgent measures.
According to the IOM, at least 1146 people died at sea in the first half of 2021 compared to 513 in 2020 and 674 in 2019. "We are proud to begin this new mission, we also ask the EU and its member states to urgently strengthen search and rescue operations", says the president of the Ficr, Francesco Rocca, "It is unacceptable that people continue to die at sea to the ports of Europe: it is a flagrant failure of the international community ". "Nobody should die looking for security." For her part, the general director of SOSMéditerranée Suisse, Caroline Abu Sa'Da, believes that this new partnership "with the Red Cross and Red Half Moon Network on board the Ocean Viiking is an honor and a new stage" for theRescue NGO at sea. (HANDLE).