On 05/09, Italian authorities grounded @PVolontaires’ Colibri 2 for 20 days and fined them €100,000 - for upholding maritime law & help saving lives. It further restricts already limited rescue capacity in the Central Mediterranean. A grounded aircraft means more lives lost.

We're working to get back to sea - because people are still risking everything, and their stories must be heard. With rescue ships detained and silenced, we’re one of the last witnesses out there. Today, we share the story of Samir and Sonia: youtu.be/b6onx1Thffo

The attacks on the Ocean Viking by the Libyan Coast Guard on 24/08 caused significant material damage to the ship and rescue equipment. Our operations will be on hold until we are fully ready to resume our life-saving mission and after assessing how we can go back at sea safely.

"In a sea of silence, abandonment and violence, they offer the rarest thing: someone is still looking for you. […] That your life matters." Journalist @alexhowl.bsky.social was onboard the #OceanViking during 2 rescues and the shootings by Libyan Coast Guard. 👇 www.service95.com/the-reality-...

Crew members were scattered around the Ocean Viking when it was being shot massively by Libyan Coast Guard on the 24/08. They recall their thoughts as they struggled to take shelter and protect the 87 survivors onboard, while bullets were targeting them all around the ship.

Recordings on the bridge of the Ocean Viking during the shooting of 24/08 testify about the attack from Libyan Coast Guard without prior warning. It highlights the lack of support from authorities who failed to act to protect the 34 crew and 87 survivors onboard. youtu.be/8OMiem2kM-I

After being stuck on board for days, the crew on #OceanViking is finally disembarking, as the health authorities lift the isolation they had imposed. Time for them to rest and recover from an horrific experience, allowed by European complicity. Our hearts are with them.

4days after the Libyan CG attack, our crew is still stranded onboard due to lengthy and unorthodox health protocols. Their #mentalhealth is impacted: they are in the same site of the traumatic event. Immediate support and disembarkation are urgently needed. www.sosmediterranee.org/four-days-af...

“It is unacceptable that the EU funds and collaborates with extremely violent partners who attack humanitarian workers and survivors, directly threatening their lives.” Ayla, Deputy SAR Coordinator from the bridge where dozens of bullets were found after the Libyan CG attack.

🚨Yesterday, 87 survivors disembarked safely in #Augusta, mostly people from #Sudan fleeing war and persecution. After all they have been through they had to face the armed attacks of our rescue ship by Libyan Coast Guard. Even our humanitarian ship is no longer a safe place.

🔴 Update: Following Italian authorities’ request, #OceanViking is heading to Augusta instead of Syracuse to disembark the 87 survivors.

Yesterday, our teams and survivors on the Ocean Viking were deliberately shot at by Libyan Coast Guard, on a vessel gifted by Italy. We demand a full investigation into these horrifying events and an immediate end to all European collaboration with Libya. www.sosmediterranee.org/sos-med-liby...

Today at 3pm, the #OceanViking has been deliberately and violently attacked in intl. waters by the Libyan Coast Guard, who fired hundreds of shots at our ship. The 87 survivors and crew on board were not wounded. We are currently working on a detailed reconstruction of events.

1/2 Last night,the #OceanViking rescued 47 people including 9 unaccompanied minors from a rubber boat in distress in intl. waters off Libya following an alert by @alarm_phone. Most are fleeing the war-torn #Sudan, where over 12 million people are displaced by a brutal conflict.

The Central Mediterranean was the scene of concerning events in the past weeks. The escalation of violence at sea targets both people on the move and humanitarians trying to render assistance among the erratic behaviour of actors who remain unidentified. www.sosmediterranee.org/violence-and...

A compelling piece by @reuters.com that highlights several realities: the dangers of the journey, the incoherence in rescue coordination, the life-saving collaboration among civil NGOs, and the impacts of delayed disembarkation in distant ports, to name a few: www.reuters.com/graphics/MIG...

Yesterday, a little girl’s life has stopped. She was just 6 years old. She had spent 5 days at sea without food or water, trying to reach Lampedusa with her mother. This is unacceptable. How many more children have to die before the EU decides it’s enough?

📢Today is the #WorldHumanitarianDay. Our @ifrc.org and @sosmediterranee.org crew onboard Ocean Viking, coming from all around the globe, stands together for the life-saving mission we pursue in the Central Mediterranean. Listen to what drives their humanitarian commitment.

1/2 “It is deeply sad and frustrating to experience coordination that deliberately limits our capacity to save lives, while the past days have been filled with news of people shipwrecked at sea, abandoned, missing, or dead.”

Italy unlawfully detained our aircraft Seabird 1 for exposing human rights abuses in the Mediterranean. Without our eyes in the sky, shipwrecks, violent pullbacks, and non-assistance will go unreported. 17 organizations demand its release! 👇

Today, at least 20 ppl, incl. a newborn, have died after two boats capsized off Lampedusa. More than 20 are still missing. While lives are being lost at sea #OceanViking has to navigate for 4 days to disembark 7 ppl in Ortona leaving the Central Med with even less rescue means.

1/2 Early this morning in pitch dark, #OceanViking was approached at high speed by an unidentified boat. Seven people went overboard and were rescued by our team. Two of them are unaccompanied minors.

1/2 83 days were lost during transit in 2025 alone. 83 days we could have spent in the #centralmed fulfilling our duty. Days of transit at sea for survivors are delaying access to the care they need on land.

“I want help. I want somebody to listen to my situation.” Syed, a 35 year-old man from Pakistan, spent five years in Libya including two in complete isolation. During these two years he had to go through a cycle of violence, physical and psychological, to get his freedom back.

#Ravenna: over 1600 km away on the Adriatic coast. This is the port of disembarkation the #OceanViking has been assigned by ITMRCC. 5 more days at sea for people we rescued. After everything they've been through. This practice of assigning intentionally distant ports is inhumane!

1/2 This morning, the #OceanViking was alerted by #Seabird to a rubber boat with 37 people in distress in the intl. waters of the Libyan SRR. After receiving the green light from competent authorities, we carried out the rescue. Shortly after, a LYCG vessel ordered us to leave.

1/2 Last night, ITMRCC allowed the medical evacuation of two pregnant women off Lampedusa from M/V Port Fukuoka. #OceanViking then received an #AlarmPhone alert about a distress case 80nm south of our position.

97 survivors, incl. 3 pregnant women & the bodies of 2 children, are stranded for 48+ hrs on M/V PORT FUKUOKA. After 4 days at sea, they still wait for a Place of Safety. Silence is not an option. Authorities must act.

1/2 During the night, the Captain & the owner of the merchant vessel PORT FUKUOKA requested assistance to #OceanViking as the M/V still hasn't receive any instructions to disembark the 97 people on board, incl. 3 pregnant women, one 9 months & the dead bodies of 2 children.

“In this 21st century, I worked as a modern slave.” Tesfahewet was tricked by a smuggler. Sold from one criminal network to another, he was forced to build a mansion with no pay and in near-starvation conditions.

2 years after #Cutro shipwreck, 6 Italian officials are charged and will face trial in January 2026. SOS MEDITERRANEE joined as civil party. Read our statement here : www.sosmediterranee.org/cutro-shipwr...

32 organisations demand the immediate ending of the systematic obstruction of non-governmental search and rescue (SAR) efforts by the Italian state. 👉Read our full statement here : www.sosmediterranee.org/the-obstruct...

“Now, I look ahead with hope. I finally feel like I can focus on the future.” Today in Ravenna, 16 survivors - including 6 unaccompanied minors - disembarked in safety. Their journey was 1,600km long. Ports of safety must be closer. Distance should never delay dignity.

At 7am, we rescued 16 survivors in the Libyan Search and Rescue Region. With Ravenna assigned as place of safety - over 1,600 km away - the journey is long. The extreme distance to safe ports and the scarcity of Search and Rescue assets highlight huge operational and humanitarian challenges.

🔴The Italian Constitutional Court upheld the #Piantedosi Decree, yet firmly reaffirmed that national legislation must align with international maritime law. It also explicitly recognised the punitive & criminal character of administrative detentions. www.sosmediterranee.org/italy-and-ma...

“You have been like my family here. When I miss my wife & children back home, I will remember this.” After 4 days at sea, we’ve safely disembarked 37 survivors - including 3 unaccompanied minors - in Ancona, Italy. We hope they’re met with the dignity & compassion they deserve.

Following yesterday’s rescue of 37 people (incl. 4 unaccompanied minors) in the Libyan SRR, survivors are recovering in peace - drawing, playing or resting, all finding quiet onboard. A long 769-nautical mile journey to Ancona lies ahead, but hope remains strong.

🚨 Imagine being at sea for 12 hours with no food or water. This was the reality for the rubber boat in distress we rescued this afternoon in the Libyan SRR, spotted by #Seabird. 37 people are now safe with @sosmediterranee.org & @ifrc.org teams onboard, including 4 unaccompanied minors.

1/2 This morning, we were alerted to an overcrowded rubber boat in distress carrying 50 people in the Libyan SRR. As we were about to assist the people in distress, the Libyan Coast Guard instructed us to leave the scene. They then intercepted the boat.

People we rescue have consistently reported experiencing unimaginable violence suffered along their migration routes. Their bodies often bear visible scars from physical abuse, while their minds carry deep psychological trauma. 👇 www.sosmediterranee.org/torture-and-...

What are the challenges facing #CivilSociety organisations in carrying out search & rescue in the Mediterranean? This latest @fra.europa.eu update points to capacity issues & legal proceedings against crew & vessels. Find out more: europa.eu/!YRw7jY #migrationEU

“As a migrant, you're like somebody without a country… without a home.” Precious, a 33-year-old painter from Nigeria, was rescued by SOS MEDITERRANEE in 2023. After 22 days crossing the desert, he’s now rebuilding his life in Bari, Italy,with hopes of painting again. youtu.be/M1uChmZz1Qc

"She scans the horizon, hoping to spot people fleeing the coast in search of safety." Meet Luisa, our SAR Coordinator on board the #OceanViking. On #SeafarerDay, we honour those who bring their skills & humanity to rescuing people in distress at sea. euobserver.com/the-eus-unsu...

“I want to study & live in a safe country." At 16, Mohamed won a national swimming championship. At 17, he became a coach. At 20, he fled the conflict in Lebanon & crossed the sea in search of safety. He shares a story of war, loss & resilience. Read www.sosmediterranee.org/testimony/mo...

After 3 days sailing from Malta’s SAR region, we reached the distant port of #Savona to disembark 73 survivors. It was our first time here. Despite the distance, we were met with warmth. One survivor said quietly: “لا مزيد من الناس السيئين” - “no more bad people.”

After three days of transit at sea, 70 people are now safe on land in Marina di Carrara. They crossed the sea in search of protection. Their smiles upon rescue said it all. We wish them peace, safety, and dignity on the road ahead.

🚨At 5:15am, in the Libyan SRR, #OceanViking spotted an overcrowded fiberglass boat. 70 people were rescued, including 2 unaccompanied minors. Cold, sea-sick, weak and exhausted, they are now safe on board with @sosmediterranee.org and @ifrc.org getting the support they need.

Orlando, SAR Training Manager, at @sosmediterranee.org will be joining the G6 Conference in Gothenburg this June hosted by the International Maritime Rescue Federation. His session will highlight how humanitarian SAR practices can inspire and improve global rescue efforts. Register👇

🚨A new report by @msf.ca, "Deadly Manoeuvres: Obstruction and Violence in the Central Mediterranean", exposes how EU policies & Italian sanctions are deliberately undermining rescue efforts. Read more here 👇🏽 searchandrescue.msf.org/news/new-msf...

After saving 112 people in distress at sea, #Nadir was detained by Italian authorities. Every time a humanitarian rescue ship is blocked, lives are put at risk. While SAR operations are obstructed, people seeking safety are left without help in one of the deadliest migration routes in the world.