Eleven children drown on average weekly fleeing across the Mediterranean-SOS Humanity International

Eleven  children drown on the average every week fleeing across the Mediterranean,  SOS Humanity International, a rescue NGO has said.

It said in a statement that: “Our partnership with @soskinderdorf pools resources to rescue young refugees safely and humanely. Last week, over half of those rescued from distress at sea were under 18, the youngest 4 months old. Thanks to the partnership, #protection and #care will continue to be at the heart of gender-sensitive, medical and psychosocial support on board.”

The full statement translated from German reads:

 The partnership between the sea rescue organization SOS Humanity and SOS Children’s Villages worldwide pools valuable resources to humanely and safely rescue underage refugees on the Mediterranean.

The central Mediterranean is considered the most dangerous escape route in the world. In 2023, around 2,500 people died trying to escape war, violence and hunger across the Mediterranean. In the first half of 2023 alone, an average of around 11 children lost their young lives per week. The number of unaccompanied minors among boat refugees increased sharply from 2022 to 2023.

The SOS Children’s Villages have decades of expertise in the sensitive security needs of women and children. The organization has implemented child protection concepts worldwide and is committed to combating trauma among children and young people. For years, SOS Humanity has been rescuing people from distress in the Mediterranean with a professional rescue ship in compliance with human and children’s rights. Their common goal is not only to rescue people safely and with dignity, but also to provide them with age-appropriate and protected care on board. The focus of the new cooperation is therefore on the well-being and protection of children.

Lanna Idriss, CEO of SOS Children’s Villages worldwide, emphasizes the importance of this partnership: “War, violence, poverty and lack of prospects, coupled with the massive consequences of climate change, are forcing millions of people around the world to flee their homes. We offer children a loving home in our facilities. When you’re on the run, that no longer exists. Children and unaccompanied minors in particular are unprotected when fleeing and are therefore exposed to great danger. As long as there are no safe and legal escape routes for children and young people across the board, we will be committed to offering children and young people a protected and safe environment, at least temporarily.”

SOS Children’s Villages support children and families on the move worldwide.

Children and women on the run in particular must be protected from exploitation, human trafficking, abuse and violence. Together with SOS Humanity, the SOS Children’s Villages want to expand their help on the Mediterranean in order to best meet the special protection needs of children and women at sea

Since 2016, the civil sea rescue organization SOS Humanity has been carrying out rescue operations in the central Mediterranean with its ship and has since saved 36,924 people, of which 8,856 were minors. In 2023 alone, SOS Humanity saved 1,101 people from drowning, almost a quarter were children and young people. In the rescue operation recently completed in May 2024, over half of those rescued from distress at sea were under 18 years old, including two babies, four and six months old.

One of those rescued in 2023 was young Ange from Ivory Coast. “Europe will decide my life, not me. I don’t know what life in Europe will bring me. But people there respect human rights. […] If Europe could give us back joy so that we can smile like other people; If Europe could accept us as people – that would be nice. “We’re human too,” said Ange after her rescue.

Thanks to the partnership between SOS Children's Villages worldwide and SOS Humanity, protection and care will also be ensured on board in 2024; Doctors, midwives and psychologists look after those rescued. There are shelters for children and women on board. Gender-sensitive medical and psychosocial care is also made possible.