Our ship MEDITERRANEA rescued 37 people this morning who were on an overcrowded fiberglass boat at risk of sinking, in international waters about 40 miles off the Libyan coast.

In the afternoon, we rescued another 28 people from a rubber dinghy that was about to sink, after being at sea for three days without drinking water or food. They were all terrified, fleeing from the horrors of Libya.

Now, all the rescued people are safe on board the MEDITERRANEA and are receiving initial medical care. Among them are six women, including one in an advanced stage of pregnancy, and twenty unaccompanied minors. They come from several countries: Sudan and South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

Many of those rescued bear the marks of violence and torture suffered in Libyan detention camps. On the very day when the Italian government renews the notorious Memorandum of cooperation with the Libyan militias, we managed to prevent 65 more lives from becoming deaths swallowed by the sea or being deported back into hell.