An 11 -year -old girl, from Sierra Leone, arrived alone on the Italian island of Lampedusa after surviving a sinking.
During the night of December 8 to 9, a boat carrying 45 migrants who left Sfax, was taken in a storm. According to the testimony of the girl, who is the only one to have survived, the boat did not resist the violent weather conditions. The other 44 passengers are missing, presumed drowned.
The young survivor was spotted by the Trotamar III sailing ship, chartered by an NGO. Around 3:20 am, the rescuers found it drift, grabbed to an air chamber and equipped with a life jacket. It was brought back healthy and saved to the island of Lampedusa at dawn around 6 a.m.
The Italian authorities and NGOs are mobilizing to provide the girl with immediate help, while investigating the circumstances of the sinking.
The drama again relaunches the debate on migration policies and rescue efforts in the Mediterranean, where more than 2,500 people lost their lives in 2023, according to UN data.
