A humanitarian ship that rescued 223 migrants - including pregnant women and children - in the Mediterranean was waiting for a safe port to disembark on Sunday. Ocean Viking, chartered by SOS Mediterranean in partnership with Doctors Without Borders, rescued the migrants during several operations off the coast of Libya. Since the summer of 2018, Libyan coast guards have been charged by Europe to coordinate rescues in a vast "search and rescue area" beyond their territorial waters. But according to SOS Mediterranean, Libya is unable to carry out the rescues because of the country's ongoing civil war. At least 19,164 migrants have perished in the waves in the past five years.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 26, 2020 13:18 UTC