- Title: Migrant rescue group SOS Mediterranee possible contender for Nobel Peace Prize
- Date: 26th September 2019
- Summary: VALENCIA, SPAIN (FILE - JUNE 20, 2018) (REUTERS) SIGN ON THE FUNNEL AQUARIUS RESCUE SHIP READING "SOS MEDITERRANEE", "MEDICINES SANS FRONTIERES" AQUARIUS CHARITY-RUN VESSEL DOCKED AT PORT SUPPLIES PACKAGES ON AQUARIUS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LOADING SUPPLIES ONTO AQUARIUS BANNER ON SHIP READING (English) "SEARCH AND RESCUE" WITH "NO WEAPON ALLOWED" LOGO AQUARIUS SHIP BEING UNDOCKED FROM PORT AQUARIUS AT SEA, DEPARTING FROM THE PORT OF VALENCIA MEMBERS OF THE MSF (MEDICINS SANS FRONTIERS OR DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS) AND SOS MEDITERRANEE RESCUE TEAM ONBOARD THE AQUARIUS WAVING AS THE SHIP DEPARTS AQUARIUS NAVIGATING AWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) SEARCHING RESCUE COORDINATOR AND MEMBER OF SOS MEDITERRANEE ON THE AQUARIUS, NICOLA STALLA, SAYING: "The mission of SOS Mediterranee is to continue being at sea as long as there is a need with the Aquarius, we will be there." AT SEA (FILE - AUGUST 10, 2018) (REUTERS) CREW FROM THE AQUARIUS SHIP ON A LIFEBOAT APPROACHING 25 MIGRANTS ON WOODEN BOAT PERSON NAVIGATING BOAT MIGRANTS IN WOODEN BOAT VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS BEING GIVEN LIFE JACKETS VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS BOARDING RESCUE BOAT RESCUER HOLDING HAND OF MIGRANT MIGRANTS AND RESCUERS ON RESCUE BOAT MIGRANT WOMAN CRYING VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS ON RESCUE BOAT, RESCUERS TALKING RESCUER NAVIGATING RESCUE BOAT RESCUE BOAT APPROACHING THE AQUARIUS MIGRANTS IN RESCUE BOAT VARIOUS OF RESCUERS HELPING MIGRANTS BOARD THE AQUARIUS BOAT MIGRANTS SITTING INSIDE THE AQUARIUS WITH MSF (MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES, OR DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS) STAFF VARIOUS OF RESCUED MIGRANTS MIGRANTS SITTING INSIDE THE AQUARIUS BOAT VALLETTA, MALTA (FILE - AUGUST 15, 2018) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS ON SHIP, LOOKING AT MALTESE SHORE PORT OF VALLETTA VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS LOOKING AT PORT AND TALKING MALTESE POLICE BOAT MIGRANTS RAISING FISTS IN AIR IN JOY RESCUERS ON ANOTHER RESCUE SHIP VARIOUS OF AQUARIUS PULLING INTO HARBOUR VARIOUS OF BANNER ON WALL READING (English) "EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO LIFE" MIGRANT LOOKING OUT AT PORT WORKERS IN WHITE SUITS WAITING AT PORT SIDE AQUARIUS DOCKED AT PORT VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS DISEMBARKING / AUDIO OF PEOPLE CHEERING AND APPLAUDING PEOPLE APPLAUDING FROM PORT SIDE MIGRANT DISEMBARKING / AUDIO OF PEOPLE CHEERING AND APPLAUDING BUS CARRYING MIGRANTS DRIVING AWAY MIGRANTS HUGGING RESCUE WORKERS AS THEY DISEMBARK MIGRANTS SAYING GOODBYE TO RESCUE WORKERS MIGRANTS DISEMBARKING MIGRANTS GETTING ONTO BUS MIGRANT BLOWING KISS AND WAVING AS HE DISEMBARKS MIGRANT HUGGING RESCUERS AND WAVING HANDS IN AIR AS HE DISEMBARKS, SAYING (English) "I love you, I love you, I love you. Thank you, thank you."
- Embargoed: 10th October 2019 08:58
- Keywords: SOS Mediterranee the Aquarius German Chancellor Angela Merkel Nobel Peace Prize MSF
- Location: VALENCIA, SPAIN / AT SEA / VALLETTA AND SENGLEA, MALTA / SZCZECIN, POLAND / PARIS AND MARSEILLE, FRANCE / BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: VALENCIA, SPAIN / AT SEA / VALLETTA AND SENGLEA, MALTA / SZCZECIN, POLAND / PARIS AND MARSEILLE, FRANCE / BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Various
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AYG80G7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: SOS Mediterranee, an Italian-French-German humanitarian organisation which has played a major role in the rescue of migrants in the Mediterranean, is a potential contender for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019.
Founded in May 2015 in response to the lack of rescue capacities in the region, SOS Mediterranee's mission statement is that "no one should drown in the Mediterranean - no matter their origin, ethnicity or reasons for flight."
Since 2016, the Aquarius - the rescue vessel run by SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) - has been operating continuously and forms part of the search and rescue efforts in the central Mediterranean.
The non-profit association is financed exclusively through donations, while its partner MSF contributes to the monthly costs for the Aquarius and staffs the medical team on board.
Disputes over immigration have divided the European Union, with splits between and within governments about who should take responsibility for migrants crossing the Mediterranean.
(Production: Paul Warren, Eleanor Whalley) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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