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| Africa North |
| German NGO halts migrant rescue operations off Libya |
| 2017-08-14 |
| [Hurriyet Daily News] The German aid group Sea Eye on Aug. 13 said it was suspending its migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean, citing security concerns after Libya barred foreign vessels from a stretch of water off its coast. The announcement comes a day after Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it was halting the use of its largest boat in the area because of an "increasingly hostile environment for lifesaving rescue operations." In a statement, Sea Eye said it was with "a heavy heart" that it had decided to follow suit following the Libyan government’s "explicit threat against the private NGOs." Tensions have been on the rise since the Libyan navy on Aug. 10 ordered foreign vessels to stay out of a coastal search and rescue zone, a measure it said was specifically aimed at non-governmental groups. |
| Posted by:Fred |