Alarm Phone Weekly Report 9th – 15th of November 2015
In the past week, the Alarm Phone was in contact once again with hundreds of travellers who attempted to cross sea borders. We dealt with 38 emergency situations in the Aegean Sea and 1 in the Western Mediterranean Sea. On Wednesday the 11th of November, yet again, many people died at sea. 14 refugees, including 7 children, drowned in Turkish waters when their vessel capsized. 27 travellers were rescued by the Turkish coastguards. Summaries of the cases and links to the more detailed reports on http://watchthemed.net can be found below.
On Monday the 9th of November 2015, the Alarm Phone was alerted to 4 emergency situations in the Aegean Sea. One group had stranded on a Greek island and was eventually rescued by a Greek police vessel, two groups in distress were rescued by the Turkish coastguards, and one group that had stranded on Lesvos Island was later detected by members of Médecins Sans Frontières (see:
http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/336).
On Tuesday the 10th of November, the Alarm Phone was alerted to 6 emergency situations in the Aegean Sea. Four groups had stranded on Kastellorizo and were later detected and rescued by Greek authorities; one group in distress at sea was rescued by the Turkish coastguards and another one by the Greek coastguards (see: http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/337).
On Wednesday the 11th of November, the Alarm Phone was alerted to 6 emergency situations in the Aegean Sea. Two groups in distress were rescued by Turkish coastguards, another two groups (presumably) by Greek coastguards. Two other groups had stranded on Greek islands and were rescued (see:
http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/338).
On Thursday the 12th of November, the Alarm Phone dealt with 9 emergency cases in the Aegean Sea and with one in the Western Med. Of five groups in distress at sea, three were rescued by Greek coastguards and two by Turkish coastguards. Two vessels in distress made it independently to Greek islands. Two groups were stranded on Kastellorizo and Kalymnos and were found by the local police (see: http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/343). We were also called directly by travellers in distress in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately they were intercepted by the Moroccan Navy and returned (see: http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/339).
On Friday the 13th of November, the Alarm Phone was alerted to 2 emergency situations in the Aegean Sea. One group was rescued by the Turkish coastguards, the other one reached a Greek island independently. In addition, we were informed about several other situations in which we either could not obtain required information in order to act or that did not need further assistance from our side (see: http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/340).
On Saturday the 14th of November, the Alarm Phone was alerted to 6 emergency situations in the Aegean Sea. Two groups had stranded on Greek islands and were later found by local authorities or the Greek coastguards. Two groups on vessels reached the Greek islands independently while two other groups were rescued by the Turkish and Greek coastguards. In addition, we were informed about several other situations in which we either could not obtain required information in order to act or that did not need further assistance from our side (see:
http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/341).
On Sunday the 15th of November, we were alerted to 5 emergency situations in the Aegean Sea. One group of travellers had stranded on a Greek island and was later rescued by the local police authorities and four groups in distress at sea were later rescued by the Turkish coastguards in one situation and by the Greek coastguards in three situations (see: http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/342).
