Italy: Another tragedy in the Mediterranean for escapees from Libyan war

On the night of August 4, Médecins Sans Frontières and other agencies provided medical assistance to about 360 survivors of a boat that sank near the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa. The authorities estimated that up to a dozen people were also killed when their boat failed to reach land.

Médecins Sans Frontières’ medical team immediately set about triaging survivors at the port. More than two dozen men and women needed urgent medical care and were transferred to the island clinic. "Most of patients were dehydrated and hypothermic in an obvious state of shock," said Dr. Mark Testa, a Médecins Sans Frontières doctor in Lampedusa. "Some patients were suffering from severe abdominal pain and had skin lesions," he added.

The survivors said they had been adrift at sea, without food or water, for nearly six days, and that they could only watch as people began dying due to starvation. They kept repeating that they could not believe they had survived while other perished.

"Each new boat, each tragic refugee death is a stark reminder of the war across the sea," said Francesca Zuccaro, Médecins Sans Frontières Head of Mission in Italy. "These people risk their lives to seek refuge on European shore."

Médecins Sans Frontières calls on all belligerent parties and neighbouring countries to uphold their responsibility, under international law, to keep their borders open and offer protection to those fleeing Libya.

In Lampedusa, Médecins Sans Frontières has been working with a team of doctors, nurses and cultural mediators, providing medical aid to patients when they arrive at the pier and follow up consultations in the island's detention centers. Between February and July, Médecins Sans Frontières assisted almost 19,000 people who fled from Libya. Médecins Sans Frontières' activities in Lampedusa are funded by private donors and the organisation does not receive institutional funds from the Italian Government.