Rescue Re aid appeal launched

European run-off specialist DARAG is seeking partners to help it fund an initiative that would enable a search and rescue vessel in the south Mediterranean Sea to operate for longer than it normally would—something that could save the lives of thousands of refugees.

The initiative, dubbed Rescue Re, would fund the Phoenix, a search and rescue ship operated by the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), a humanitarian search and rescue operation assisting vessels in distress in the central Mediterranean Sea.

The ship specifically covers the stretch of sea between Libya and Italy, which gets notoriously rough from September on. The Phoenix usually stops operating during this period but the fear is that many refugees are now so desperate they will attempt the crossing even in bad conditions.

Arndt Gossmann, the chief executive of DARAG, said he felt the industry had a moral duty to act. “There is no political dimension to this; the fact is that no-one should de at sea,” he said. “We are looking for just a couple of partners to help us fund this venture and bring it to life.”