BERLIN: Five migrants have died as a German nonprofit organization and the Libyan coast guard tried to rescue them from their foundering boat in the Mediterranean, with each side blaming the other for botching the operation.
Germany’s Sea-Watch said Tuesday its rescue ship was helping migrants on the sinking inflatable boat in international waters off the Libyan coast Monday morning when a Libyan coast guard boat also began to simultaneously take migrants onboard.
Sea-Watch said the Libyan coast guard caused panic by “beating and threatening” the passengers, before driving off at high speed with people clinging to the side.
Five people, including a child, were killed and 58 rescued by Sea-Watch.
“Probably, nobody would have had to die today if only we had the possibility to operate reasonably in a calm environment,” said Sea Watch head of mission Johannes Bayer.
“These deaths have to be blamed on the Libyan coast guards who have obstructed a safe rescue with their brutal behavior,” he added.
“European governments finally have to draw conclusions from this incident and stop the collaboration with the Libyan coast guard.”
In response, the Libyan coast guard accused Sea Watch of causing “panic and confusion” among the migrants.
“They all wanted to reach the ship of the German NGO,” spokesman Gen. Ayoub Qassem said.
“Even those who had been rescued and were on the coast guard’s boat jumped in the water to try and reach the Sea Watch boat, which refused orders to leave the area,” he said.
Libyans, Germans blame each other for botched migrant rescue
Libyans, Germans blame each other for botched migrant rescue
MSF says it will not share staff details demanded by Israel to access Gaza
- The aid groups say sharing such staff information could pose a safety risk
- Aid agencies dispute that substantial aid has been diverted
GENEVA: Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Friday it will not submit lists of staff demanded by Israel to maintain access to Gaza and the West Bank, saying it had not been able to obtain assurances over the safety of its teams.
MSF, which supports and helps staff hospitals in Gaza, is one of 37 international organizations that Israel ordered this month to stop work in the Palestinian territories unless they meet new rules including providing employee details.
The aid groups say sharing such staff information could pose a safety risk, pointing to the hundreds of aid workers who were killed or injured during the two-year Gaza war.
Israel’s diaspora ministry, which manages the registration process, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel has previously said the registrations were meant to prevent diversions of aid by Palestinian armed groups. Aid agencies dispute that substantial aid has been diverted.
MSF had said last week it would be prepared to share a partial list of Palestinian and international staff who had agreed to release that information, provided the list be used only for administrative purposes and not put its team at risk. It also said it wanted to retain control over the management of medical humanitarian supplies.
“However, despite repeated efforts, it became evident in recent days that we were unable to build engagement with Israeli authorities on the concrete assurances required,” MSF said in a statement.
It said there could be a devastating impact on humanitarian services if it is banned from operating in Gaza and the West Bank, amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
