SOS Méditerranée

SOS MEDITERRANEE is a European civil sea rescue association made up of European citizens determined to act in the face of the tragedy of repeated shipwrecks in the central Mediterranean.

Since 2014, more than 28,000 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean on makeshift boats, not counting all those who have disappeared without witnesses. The majority of these women, men and children were trying to flee an unbearable situation in Libya, making the central Mediterranean the deadliest migration route in the world. It is on the basis of a movement of European citizens decided to act in the face of this tragedy of repeated shipwrecks at sea that SOS MEDITERRANEE was created in 2015. Convinced that it is not not acceptable to let thousands of people drown before our eyes, at the gates of Europe, the association continues its fight to save lives at sea, protect and care for those rescued on board and speak to public opinion about this tragedy. Thanks to an exceptional mobilization of European civil society, SOS MEDITERRANEE is carrying out rescue operations in international waters off the Libyan coast. Associations have been created in France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland to support this tremendous surge of solidarity which is only growing. With the Aquarius then the Ocean Viking, the SOS MEDITERRANEE search and rescue teams have been able to rescue, collect and treat more than 39,000 people since the start of operations in February 2016. Among them, a quarter of the survivors. They were minors, more than 80% of whom were unaccompanied. 15% were women. All our operations take place in strict compliance with international maritime law and in permanent liaison with the competent sea rescue coordination authorities. Renting a rescue ship like the Ocean Viking, capable of sailing in winter and summer, its crew, fuel and all the equipment necessary to take care of the survivors costs €24,000 per day.