3,000 migrants rescued off Libya

The New York Times 22:46 - 19 March 2017

The view from the "Aquarius", a ship rented by humanitarians SOS Mediterranee and Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) to organise rescue operations

"After some calm days, migrants are arriving in large numbers, taking advantage of a window of favourable weather," said a coastguard official.

Around 3,000 migrants were rescued off the coast of

The rescue was undertaken in 22 separate operations coordinated by the Italian coastguard.

One participant was the Aquarius, a humanitarian ship run by the NGO SOS Mediterranean and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which said it saved 946 people, including 200 unaccompanied minors.

An MSF video showed three young children smiling and dancing on the ship to the sound of drumming.

The migrants rescued by the Aquarius had been found drifting on nine wooden and rubber boats.