On the Ocean Viking ship, every rescue is also a gesture of care. Because many of the rescued people arrive on board with visible and invisible wounds: fuel burns, infections, at risk pregnancies, diseases never treated. Some are babies, other elderly people, all returning from a journey made of violence, abuse, hunger and fear.
It is not a miracle. It is justice. It is concrete humanity. It is to give a name, offer a glass of water, take care of a wound. It is to return dignity.
Since 2016, Sos Mediterranee has been operating in the central Mediterranean to help those who risk their lives at sea. In recent years he has saved over 42,000 people. But the rescue does not end when you pull on someone from a failure boat.
It is precisely there that the greatest work begins: that of the cure.
The Ocean Viking ship is equipped as a real floating clinic. On board, a medical team of four people – a doctor, a nurse, an obstetrician and a health -leader – or sight essential care and listen to those who often have never received any of this.
“We are appreciated on this ship. I feel at home.”
He said this, 29 years old, saved after having fled Benin and survived violence and racism in Libya. He dreams of becoming a doctor. Perhaps, because for the first time, someone took care of him.
Mary, on the other hand, arrived with tuberculosis, without ever having received assistance. After months of abuse in a detention center, he was not afraid of dying. He was afraid of being back.
Departures increase every summer. And with them the shipwrecks, the dead and the emergencies on board. Ocean Viking’s medical team works day and night, even in extreme conditions: cold, rough sea, linguistic barriers, overcrowding.
But the materials are ending. Sterile gauze, antibiotics, thermal blankets, phleb, milk for babies, life jackets are missing.
We need everyone’s help. Even a small contribution can make the difference:
– € 25 are enough to provide 5 thermal blankets to just saved people.
– 60 € guarantee a complete medical examination and essential drugs.
– 100 € cover a complete kit for a pregnant woman or a newborn baby.
➢ give now and save lives: https://dona.sosmediterranee.it/estate2025
Because saving is a duty. But treating, listening and respecting is what makes us human.
