USA Africa Dialogue Series - Italy Says NATO Ship Refused Plea to Rescue Refugees

Italy Says NATO Ship Refused Plea to Rescue Refugees 05/08/2011 18:00:00

Italy has demanded an explanation and called for an inquiry into NATO's reported failure to assist a stricken boat on which dozens may have died of dehydration on their way from Libya to the Italian island of Lampedusa. It also urged the alliance to help rescue refugees fleeing by sea from Libya. Italy's foreign ministry said that NATO's mandate in Libya should be adapted "to take into consideration the care and rescue of those who are forced to flee by boat, putting their lives at risk because of combat operations." According to a foreign ministry source cited by the Italian news agency Ansa, Italy had asked for assistance from a NATO vessel taking part in the naval embargo on Libya to rescue a boat with hundreds of refugees drifting off Libya and was refused. The refugees were eventually rescued by the Italian coastguard and taken to Lampedusa, where tens of thousands of African migrants are already hosted after fleeing Libya. Survivors have been reported saying that about 100 people had died on the journey that began last Friday, and their bodies were thrown overboard. The Italian foreign ministry said it wanted an inquiry into "the controversy over the presumed failure to assist a boatload of migrants fleeing Libya." The NATO about 46 kilometres from the 20m boat carrying more than 300 refugees. They were eventually rescued some 145 nautical kms south of Lampedusa. Italy's chief of defence staff Biagio Abrate there should be "greater awareness on the humanitarian aspect of the operations under way." He added that he has contacted the commander of NATO-led operations in Libya, Charles Bouchard, over the incident. Meanwhile, David Taylor,a NATO spokesperson for naval operations, denied that the organisation had failed to assist. He said that NATO always responds and intervenes in emergency situations in accordance with the requirements of international law. "Humanitarian corridors should be opened as a matter of urgency," Save the Children, which has representatives on Lampedusa, said in a statement, adding: "It is not possible to continue seeing tragedies at sea without doing anything." Charities have called for better co-ordination of rescue efforts in the Mediterranean to avoid similar tragedies which Laura Boldrini, a spokesperson for the UN refugee agency UNHCR, said have killed 1 500 people so far this year.

 

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