Mediterranean: saving lives at sea

2016 was the deadliest year on record for people crossing the Mediterranean. Escaping conflict and extreme poverty, more than 90,000 refugees and migrants reached Italian shores within the first seven months. More than 15,000 of them were children, most of whom - some 90% - were unaccompanied, making the crossing to a new continent without their parents.

The causes for people risking their lives on the seas are complex and many, but Save the Children's response is simple: we must stop children from drowning.

And so we launched a search-and-rescue ship - the Vos Hestia - in September 2016.

Immediate and profound impact

In the early morning of 22nd November 2016, 400 people were rescued by the Vos Hestia in complete darkness when an overcrowded wooden boat was spotted in distress off the coast of North Africa. One in four of those rescued were children, the vast majority of whom were travelling alone.

On board, all those rescued were given medical support at the on-board clinic and then met by Save the Children staff when the Vos Hestia reached land to provide support through the disembarkation process.

Since it was launched in September 2016, the Vos Hestia has saved thousands of lives, including more than 400 children.