Doctors Without Borders ends MV Aquarius rescue operations

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says it has been forced to end rescue operations in the Mediterranean carried out by the vessel, Aquarius.

The medical charity blamed “sustained attacks on search and rescue by European states”.

Aquarius has been stuck in Marseille since its registration was revoked.

BBC reports “Announcing the decision to end its operations, MSF said EU countries, spearheaded by Italy, had failed to provide enough dedicated rescue capacity of their own, then had actively sabotaged the efforts of others trying to save lives in the Mediterranean, the BBC’s Europe correspondent, Damian Grammaticas reports.

In a tweet, MSF Sea said “sustained attacks” by European nations “will mean more deaths at sea, and more needless deaths that will go unwitnessed”.”