Dear friends,
Johanna just wanted her tiny baby to have a life worth
living.
So
fleeing violence, poverty, and
hunger, she gambled on a flimsy, inflatable dinghy --
hoping it would take them to the safety of Europe. It ended in
tragedy.
The boat deflated, and 7-month-old baby Joseph
died.
Over 900 people have drowned in the
Mediterranean this year -- it could be THOUSANDS if
it wasn't for humanitarian rescue boats. And that's the
problem: Europe is now shamefully blocking those civilian
rescue missions from leaving port.
All but
one.
In the entire Mediterranean,
there's now
just one civilian rescue boat still operating: the Open
Arms. Their commitment is incredible, facing
violent coast guards, stormy seas, and daily heartbreak.
They've rescued over 60,000 people from the sea --
and
they're desperate for funding. We can
help.
This is our chance to be a lifeline for
some of the world's most vulnerable people. People
who may otherwise be left to drown, miles out at sea. But if
enough of us chip in, we could help fund this rescue ship
through the icy winter weeks and help other missions fight
through administrative red tape.
Donate what you can
now:
These
aren't migrants, or immigrants, or refugees. They are
humans: ordinary people in the most terrifying circumstances,
just trying to live their lives and keep their families safe.
We can't look away.
And yet that's exactly what the EU
is doing: paying for detention centres, drone surveillance,
and violent patrols to keep people trapped in countries like
Libya, away from its shores.
Civilians shouldn't have
to run rescue missions -- but the Open Arms crew
is being forced to step in because if it didn't,
there'd be thousands and thousands left to drown.
But
it's incredibly expensive work -- and as the only rescue boat
still able to operate, the area they cover is beyond massive,
and this is the most freezing, deadly time of the year.
They need urgent funding, and if we all chip in, we
could:
- Help fund Open Arms rescue
missions through this critical winter
period;
- Provide emergency food, life vests, and
hygiene kits to people they rescue;
- Pay for medical doctors and trauma
specialists on board;
- Fund legal battles to cut through red
tape stopping other rescue missions;
- Power our human rights
campaigning to protect vulnerable people around the
world.
Our donations will save lives, it's
that simple. And in another world, it could be us on
those tiny boats, holding our youngest, desperately hoping
that help will come. We can be that help --
chip in
what you can now:
For years our movement
has stood by the world’s most vulnerable -- whether it’s
refugees fleeing war-torn Syria, the Rohingya running from
genocide, or Yemen's starving children. We do it because every
single life is precious -- no matter where you're from. This
is a moment to stand by that belief again, reaching out, with
open arms.
With fierce hope and determination --
always,
Mike, Camille, Patricia, Mohammad,
Marigona, Aloys, Bert and the whole team at Avaaz
PS -
This might be your first donation to our movement ever. But
what a first donation! Did you know that Avaaz relies entirely
on small donations from members like you? That's why we're
fully independent, nimble and effective. Join the over 1
million people who've donated to make Avaaz a real force for
good in the world.
More information.
Baby,
six months, dies hours after being saved from Mediterranean
(Al Jazeera)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/12/baby-six-months-dies-hours-after-being-saved-from-mediterraneanRevealed:
the great European refugee scandal (The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/12/revealed-the-great-european-refugee-scandalMigrants’
wedding rings lost at sea found by rescue boat weeks later
(Independent)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/migrants-wedding-rings-found-mediterranean-sea-b1761549.html
