Rescuer slams Europe’s ‘act of cowardice’
A WELSH volunteer was last week on a boat full of refugees – including children and a baby – stranded in stormy conditions in the Mediterranean.
Robin Jenkins, from Llantwit Major, was one of the volunteers on board a boat which rescued 32 people, including a baby, children and teenagers, off the coast of Libya on December 22.
The children are aged one, six and seven, as well as two teenagers travelling unaccompanied.
The boat was around 24 miles from Malta, but authorities on the island and other European countries have refused to give permission for the boat to dock and the boat has remained at sea since.
Fresh water and food supplies are running out and in increasingly turbulent and chilly weather conditions, people are suffering with severe seasickness. Robin, 45, is becoming increasingly concerned for the safety of the whole crew as the hours and days drag on.
When Sea-Watch, which describes itself as a “nonprofit organisation that conducts civil search and rescue operations” in the Mediterranean, made the rescue its vessel was nearest to Libya but that is not considered a safe port – and is somewhere many of the people were fleeing from. The survivors are from a variety of different African nations, have fled their homes, and in a bid to secure their own freedom some have been forced into prostitution or crime, said Robin.
“These people have crossed the Sahara, witnessed horrific things, been imprisoned and beaten and been exploited,” he said. “They have had things stolen from them and now they’re in a ship feeling nauseous and scared and frightened and there’s very little we can say to them. Their stories are very, very hard to listen to,” he added.
They have weathered one storm, but another storm is imminent.
“We have been through one storm and then there was a lull. By that, I mean that the waves went from 2.5m to one metre which on a boat the length of ours still means that within a couple of hours you would get severe seasickness,” he said. “I’m looking at the waves now and they are monsters.
“We’re really being put in harm’s way. We feel we’re being punished and we’re very angry and frustrated.
“We’re in a sort of disbelief as this is a rescue mission. We have rescued 32 people.
“I have a long background at sea and in rescues having been with the RNLI since I was 15. I have never once considered or been asked to consider the background of the person I was rescuing. It’s a matter of life or death. We can’t tell them they’ll be fine. This is an act of cowardice from Europe.”
Robin said that there have been tens of other rescues where a port has been offered, and he does not believe there is any reason this should be any different.
He said while he doesn’t agree with the position Malta has adopted, he does sympathise as the country – as well as Greece, Italy and Spain – have taken in the vast number of refugees while other governments sit by.
Malta has allowed some respite by allowing the boat into a zone slightly closer to land.
“It’s been a port of safety for many years and what they’re feeling irritated by is that the rest of Europe has turned their back on these south European ports,” said Robin.
An update from a medical team onboard the boat last week painted a bleak picture.
“Initially our guests were physically in a relatively good condition. However, we are a ship equipped for rescues meant for initial medical aid and the support of basic needs during a phase of transfer.
“We are not in a position to sustain long-term support and accommodation, our ship is not designed for this purpose.
“The food that we offer is meant for short-term use. It does not contain enough nutrients and fibre. This makes the guests more vulnerable to seasickness as well as any infectious disease.”
With fresh water supplies are running out “for a malnourished, weakened person, the resulting dehydration may be life-threatening, especially when in conjunction with hypothermia”.
The team added: “We are especially worried about the three children that we have on board who have less reserves and are at higher risk.”
The people have all had to be packed into a small area inside the ship due to the weather.
“This caused a retraumatisation of some of our guests, suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.
“Their fragile mental state is further threatened by a group dynamic of many unbalanced people in close proximity to each other.
“The prolonged uncertainty is putting them under a lot of tension. Many of them are losing their trust in our operation which is limited our possibilities of supplying mental aid and thereby endangering the security of the entire ship.”
The crew have now been on board for more than three weeks and are described as being “exhausted”.
“Several crew members are very seasick and there are even less working hands, therefore the crew has reached their limit.”
The group are now pleading for help from Mediterranean countries and the UK Government.
“We need immediate port of safety and disembarkation of the guests. Since we still have no port of safety we kindly ask you to grant us at least shelter within your territorial waters to stabilise the situation onboard.”
Robin has urged people to lobby their MPs to help, and to sign a petition calling on Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and the UK Government to give urgent assistance.