- The Media Line - https://themedialine.org -

‘The Absolute Priority for Our Mission is Saving Lives’ (AUDIO INTERVIEW)

Medicines Sans Frontiers, or Doctors Without Borders, is resuming operations in conjunction with another NGO, SOS Mediterranean, to rescue migrants who run into trouble while making the perilous crossing from North Africa, and particularly Libya, in order to reach Europe.

These operations were in the headlines for many months into 2018, but ceased for the most part due to a lack of cooperation by European authorities, especially those in Italy – whose coastline comes relatively close to that of Libya. Their complaint was that certain countries were being forced to handle more than their fair share of the burden, so they in effect closed their ports of disembarkation to the NGOs.

The Media Line spoke with Sam Turner, the head of Doctors Without Borders’ mission to Libya and the group’s search and rescue operations, to discuss the renewed attempt to play Good Samaritan and whether anything has changed in the interim.

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