Central Mediterranean – 23 September, 2018 – SOS Mediterrannee and MSF are reeling from the announcement by the Panama Maritime Authority it has been forced to revoke the registration of the Aquarius under blatant economic and political pressure from the Italian government. This announcement condemns hundreds of men, women and children, who are in the desperate search for safety, to a watery grave and deals a major blow to the life-saving humanitarian mission of the Aquarius, the only remaining non-governmental search and rescue vessel in the Central Mediterranean.

News from the Panama Maritime Authority arrived to the Aquarius while its teams were engaged in an active search and rescue operation in the Central Mediterranean. Over the past 72 hours, Aquarius assisted two boats in distress and now has more than 60 survivors on board, several of whom are psychologically distressed and fatigued from their journeys at sea and experiences in Libya.

Both organizations demand that European governments allow the Aquarius to continue its mission, by affirming to the Panamanian authorities that threats made by the Italian government are false, or by immediately issuing a new flag under which the vessel can sail.