The Alan Kurdi ship that has been eight days out at sea with scores of African migrants on board appealed to European states for a safe port, saying the health of the rescued people was worsening.
The ship is stranded between Malta and Italy,
Malta and Italy denied the Alan Kurdi entry into their waters after the vessel, managed by German humanitarian organization Sea-Eye, rescued 64 migrants off the Libyan coast on April 3.
Two of 12 women on board the Alan Kurdi were disembarked this week by Maltese patrol boats for health reasons. One of them, a 23-year-old pregnant Nigerian, was taken away on Wednesday evening after an epileptic crisis, Sea-Eye said.
“The Alan Kurdi urgently needs a rapid, political and humanitarian solution for 62 refugees and 17 crew members, whose families are also worried”, the charity said in a statement.
Italy has closed its ports to humanitarian ships since last June, when the far-right League formed a coalition government with the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement.
Last week League leader and deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini told Berlin to take responsibility for the boat.
A Sea-Eye spokeswoman said on Thursday that Germany had called in the European Commission to mediate among EU member states and find a solution, but Brussels had not achieved anything.
On Friday Italy offered to open its ports to two woman and their children, but they refused to be split from their husbands and remained on board.
Via Reuters
