The private, Malta-based Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) was involved in the rescue of some 700 migrants today. The migrants were all transferred to Italian Navy vessels.

Rescue work started early, when MOAS spotted a boat in distress at around 6.40am. The boat was carrying approximately 300 migrants. Immediate contact was established with the rescue centre in Rome who directed that the migrant boat be intercepted.

Having reported back on the state of the vessel and the people on board, the MOAS ship Phoenix was eventually directed to assist by taking the migrants on board.

83 women and children were transferred via ribs to Phoenix where they were given first aid by the two paramedics on board.

Meanwhile, the Borsini, an Italian warship arrived on the scene and embarked the rest of the migrants.

At 11.20am, MOAS became involved in another rescue operation when a wooden boat carrying approximately 400 migrants was located. MOAS ribs were used to transfer these migrants to an Italian vessel.

Eventually the the 83 women and children who hours earlier had been taken onboard  Phoenix we also transferred on the Borsini.

The migrants were mostly Syrians, Palestinians and Eritreans, among them a two-­day old infant.  The migrants included a number of people from Damascus who stated that they had sold their worldly possessions to make the trip. One of those rescued said he sold his house and car and spent $15,000 to get his family away from the conflict.
 
www.moas.eu

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