Latest from the Ocean Viking

Explore the summary of activities and observations recorded by our rescue ship in the Central Mediterranean.
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Humanitarian

SOS MEDITERRANEE is an international humanitarian organization dedicated to saving lives at sea. Founded in 2015, the initiative emerged as a response to the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Central Mediterranean, as well as the discontinuation of Mare Nostrum and the subsequent EU disengagement from search and rescue operations in the area.

SOS MEDITERRANEE is an apolitical and non-confessional humanitarian organization structured as an international network present in France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. Our dedication to humanitarian principles and commitment to human dignity has earned us international recognition and support.

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Maritime

SOS MEDITERRANEE operates primarily through its vessel, the Ocean Viking, a search and rescue ship equipped to respond swiftly to distress calls, and to provide assistance, protection and rescue operations for people in distress at sea.

All operations are carried out in strict accordance with international maritime and humanitarian law. SOS MEDITERRANEE launched its search and rescue mission in the Central Mediterranean based on the legal duty to render assistance to people in distress at sea, and to disembark them in a place of safety, where their rights are ensured, their needs can be met and where their lives are no longer under threat.

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Citizen-led

SOS MEDITERRANEE was established by a group of European citizens, including seafarers and humanitarians, who were deeply concerned about the rising death toll among people attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in search of safety and a better future.

SOS MEDITERRANEE has cultivated a robust network of dedicated volunteers and influential supporters from diverse backgrounds, who donate their time and expertise to contribute to the organization’s search and rescue efforts, fundraising campaigns and awareness-raising initiatives. Their dedication to solidarity has been a driving force behind our operations.

SOS MEDITERRANEE needs your support.

To be able to save lives at sea, we rely on donations.

Give 50€

A life jacket for a mother and her child

Give 100€

Offer a medical consultation to seven people on board

© SOS MEDITERRANEE / Johanna de Tessieres
SOS MEDITERRANEE / Johanna de Tessieres

Testimony

Juba and Hassama

Juba, 20, and Hassama, 13, are brothers who were rescued on April 7th, 2024, by the Ocean Viking teams on board a wooden boat in the Libyan search and rescue region. Originally from the Delta Valley in Egypt, they shared the difficult living conditions and lack of prospect for the future in Egypt that led them to leave for Libya, risking their lives in the attempt to cross the Mediterranean.