Open Arms is an NGO that patrols the Mediterranean to rescue migrants adrift at sea.
On its Twitter account, it shares a heart-wrenching story. It's that of baby Joseph and his mother. This is how she cried when she was rescued from the sea.
“I lost my baby. Where is my baby?”
They managed to rescue 264 people. One of them was the young Joseph, a six-month-old baby born in Conakry.
He wasn't breathing when they rescued him, but he recovered. Then, when he was being evacuated, his heart stopped beating.
It's with this message that the NGO reported the tragedy.
It's not the only dramatic story of the last hours. The young Bangaly shares his own experience in these hours.
“This morning I asked my dad, 'Where is mum?' And he said, 'I don't know.' His mom stayed in the water.”
An alternative to this situation is setting up humanitarian corridors to avoid these life-threatening trips in flimsy boats and to stop illegal immigration and human trafficking.
Organizations like the Community of Sant'Egidio continue to promote this alternative. The idea is to offer a humanitarian option and a path to integration, paid for by private institutions.
Javier Martínez-Brocal
Translation: CT
