Famagusta Gazette — The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) will end its partnership with SOS Méditerranée due to funding constraints, the groups said Tuesday.
Despite the decision, SOS Méditerranée’s rescue ship Ocean Viking is preparing to return to sea with a reduced crew. Medical and protection activities will now be handled internally by the organization.
Over the past four years, the partnership enabled more than 150 rescue missions in the central Mediterranean, saving thousands of people. The IFRC contributed about €2 million annually to the operations, which cost roughly €9 million per year, and provided medical and protection staff on board.
“While the partnership with the IFRC has come to an end, our determination to return to sea is unwavering,” said Soazic Dupuy, director of operations at SOS Méditerranée. “After the violent attack by the Libyan Coast Guard on our rescue ship last summer and several months of operational pause, we are now preparing to resume our life-saving missions with the Ocean Viking.”
The organization said it will temporarily adjust operations by deploying a smaller search and rescue team, while maintaining medical and protection services internally. The revised setup will allow missions to continue, though only for a limited time under current financial conditions.
Founded in 2015, SOS Méditerranée is a maritime humanitarian group dedicated to saving lives at sea. Since beginning operations in 2016, it has rescued more than 42,700 people in the central Mediterranean.