Doctors and operators aboard migrant-rescue vessel, Aquarius, talk about the days at sea during which they supported the migrants until their arrival in Valencia.
Doctors aboard the Aquarius have spoken about the hours they spent trying to help the 629 migrants on board until their arrival in Valencia. They tried to allay migrants' fears after Italy closed its ports to the ship and treated a woman who was trying to nurse her baby while she was sea sick, they said.
One operator talked to a young man who was repeatedly raped in Libya.
Health personnel aboard the migrant rescue ship worked nonstop to assist the migrants and their reports provide an occasion to reflect on what happened.
A difficult crossing
Their stories highlighted the difficulty and danger of saving human lives at sea. Aloys Vimard, coordinator of Doctors Without Borders aboard the Aquarius tweeted: "This is not a cruise ship. It's a search-and-rescue ship. It's not made for people to stay more than two, three, four days. It was difficult to see a breast-feeding mother trying to feed her baby while seasick."
Doctor Maria Rita Agliozzo in Valencia said "everything went well, like we wanted," speaking after five days aboard the Dattilo ship to assist the migrants.The five days aboard the ship helped operators to have more time to talk to the migrants, said Marika Giustiniani.
"We were struck by the story of an Eritrean brother and sister, aged 15 and 17. They fled their country and lost sight of each other.Then they found each other in Libya and were able to live together until they left." The duration of their trip to Valencia was not a problem for them, she said. "They were very happy to reach Europe, in a different place from their country, where they can create something different from their future in Eritrea."
"We told migrants not to give up" Sidonie Nsiako, an operator from Cameroon with Intersos who was aboard coast guard vessel Dattilo, said. "We had to do everything we could to explain to migrants that they shouldn't give up. We repeatedly told them that the trip was long but, in the end, they would make it and this morning, when they saw the city, they sang and danced. They thanked God that they had finally arrived. Now they are calm," she said. "We had to do everything we could to keep them calm and occupied so they wouldn't think about what they had seen."
Some spoke about when they ended up under water. A young man was among them and was very silent. In the end, Sidonie said, "he told me how he was repeatedly raped in Libya. He was always sad and lonely but yesterday he finally started smiling."