AITA MARI

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

53 rescued migrants disembarked in Catania

The 'Aita Mari' has docked in the port of Catania on Nov 20 and disembarked the 53 people rescued in the central Mediterranean, among them a group made up mostly of young people and minors. They had been adrift at sea for three days before being located . The disembarkation took place at around 4:00 p.m., giving priority to the medical care of two people in serious condition, who were examined by the Italian authorities to confirm the initial diagnoses made by the medical team of the NGO ship. The rescued people were coming from Eritrea, Ethiopia and South Sudan, countries marked by armed conflicts and prolonged humanitarian crises. According to testimonies collected by the crew of the 'Aita Mari', many of them endured long and dangerous journeys through the Sahara, facing extreme conditions, before being trapped in Libya, where they had been subjected to “torture, beatings and imprisonment” in detention centres run by “militias and corrupt networks”. After years of trying to cross the Mediterranean, some described situations in which they were required to pay large sums of money, under threat of death, to obtain their release. After their arrival in Catania, they have been placed under the guardianship of the Italian authorities, who will be responsible for initiating their asylum application processes. The 'Aita Mari'will remain in port for the next few days due to storm forecasts.

NGO ship rescued 53 boat people after three days adrift

The 'Aita Mari' has rescued 53 people on Nov 19, most of them young men and many of them minors, from a boat that had been adrift for three days in the Mediterranean Sea. The rescue took place after receiving an alert at 5.29 a.m., which was sent by AlrmPhone via email. The lack of response from the emergency coordination centres forced the 'Aita Mari' to proceed with the rescue. The ship was 15 nautical miles south of the boat at the time of receiving the alarm and headed for the area. The castaways, mostly from Eritrea, Ethiopia and South Sudan, showed signs of dehydration, dizziness, exhaustion and in some cases bronchitis due to prolonged exposure to the cold. The medical crew on board the 'Aita Mari' carries out the supervision tasks of the most serious cases. The port of disembarkation has been assigned to Catania with an ETA as of 5:00 p.m., and where the crew hoped to take shelter for the next few days due to the forecast of a strong storm in the area.

34 migrants rescued in Mediterranean

The 'Aita Mari' arrived in Ravenna on July 19 at around 11:45 a.m., after five days sailing more than 1,700 kilometers far. The SAR ship had rescued 34 people in the Mediterranean Sea in the early morning of July 15, among whom were two women, one of whom was seven months pregnant, who boarded with her 14-year-old brother and two other minors. The migrants had fled Libya because of the war, and their origin ranged between Egypt, Nigeria, Bangladesh and, above all, Syria. Furthermore, some of the rescued people claim to have suffered torture during their stay in Libyan territory. During the journey, they have received medical care and humanitarian support. The rescue, however, was carried out in difficult conditions, since three Libyan vessels appeared during the operation. Some of the people on these boats were wearing masks and weapons, which created moments of tension. However, it was possible to stabilize the situation and rescue all the people.