Day 15

A meal for a person rescued at sea in the Mediterranean

Solidarity on the High Seas

A meal brings security and a first breather

Since 2017, Lorenz has been part of the ship's crew. He takes care of the well-being of the guests on board. For years, he has witnessed how essential food is on the ship: "When our guests have overcome the initial shock of being rescued and start to settle in on the ship, one of the first questions is, 'When will there be food?' When I respond, 'In an hour,' I often feel how, at least for the moment, a burden is lifted off their shoulders. There are two hot meals a day on board: dishes with rice, vegetables, and various sauces. Along with hot tea and water with syrup, we also provide high-calorie bars in between. On our large deck, we always eat together – guests and crew. When I sit with the guests, the topics are diverse and always moving. We talk about when they last had a proper meal – which is often a long time ago. But we also talk about how our guests find familiarity in the different rice dishes, as rice-based meals can be found all over the world, from Bangladesh to Morocco to Cameroon."

Lea Hoppenworth stellt dir das Projekt hinter Türchen 15 näher vor

need

Food for people rescued from distress at sea fleeing across the Mediterranean

activity

The crew of the rescue ships provides rescued people with nutritious meals and drinks and takes care of the well-being of everyone on board

Measurable performance

The number of food packages that can be distributed on board the rescue ships to persons rescued from distress at sea

Result

All people rescued from distress at sea are immediately cared for, their well-being is supported during the short time on board and they are brought safely to land

Systemically relevant impact

Civilian sea rescue contributes to long-term safety on the Mediterranean route

background

Since 2014, over 30,000 refugees have drowned while attempting to cross the Mediterranean, according to official figures (IOM, 2024). These people are fleeing from war, political persecution, the effects of climate change, and other reasons (UNHCR, 2014). To find protection in Europe and exercise their right to a fair asylum process, they are forced to cross the Mediterranean in unseaworthy boats. According to international law, when asylum seekers are in distress at sea, they must be rescued and brought to a safe place—regardless of their nationality, status, or circumstances (SRÜ, 1982). Since the Italian government’s military-humanitarian search and rescue program Mare Nostrum was discontinued in 2014, there has been no state-run search and rescue program for people fleeing across the Mediterranean (Prantl, 2014). Civilian sea rescue has thus become indispensable. Organizations like Sea-Watch ensure that refugees fleeing under extremely dangerous conditions are rescued from distress at sea. State repression and criminalization are increasingly complicating the work of civilian sea rescue. Civil rescue ships are sometimes instructed to head directly to an Italian port after a rescue, even if other distress situations are ongoing in the area. Distant ports are intended to keep rescue ships away from the search and rescue zone for as long as possible, leading to unnecessarily long and exhausting journeys for the rescued. (Alleged) violations can lead to detentions and fines (Pesavento, 2024). These circumstances make the supply on board the civilian rescue ships even more important. After being rescued from distress at sea, the well-being of the rescued individuals is the top priority. This includes not only medical care and appropriate clothing but also the provision of nutritious meals and drinking water. This is an integral part of the work of civilian search and rescue organizations: it is both a sign of humanitarian commitment and a necessary step to uphold the human rights of those seeking protection.

The good deed

With today's good deed, you support the basic provision for the guests on board the Sea-Watch 5 and AURORA rescue ships. This includes providing drinking water, snacks, and hot meals. This provision offers the guests a much-needed break on their long and dangerous journey. It is one of the minimum requirements to regularly provide all people on board with nutritious meals and drinks. The donations through 24 Good Deeds contribute to providing three meals a day for each rescued person during rescue operations. On board the Sea-Watch 5, up to 400 guests can be served meals, through the rice kitchen and a separate tea station for self-service. Crew and guests eat together, share the food distribution and dishwashing duties, and spend valuable hours together on deck. Even though these are only short breaks to catch a breath, they symbolize much more: the commitment to humanitarian aid and the necessity of safe escape routes. No one should die in search of a better life.

About the European Mediterranean

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Human Development Index (Human Development Index)

as of 2023/2024

As a historically significant body of water connecting Europe, Africa and Asia, the Mediterranean Sea is an important trade and cultural route. 21 countries have coastlines along the Mediterranean Sea, making it one of the most diverse inland seas in the world.

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