United Nations Radio

The UN refugee agency is shocked by accounts from five Eritreans who say they are the only survivors from a boat that set out from Libya almost three weeks ago.

overloaded passenger ship

According to the survivors, some eighty people, mostly from Eritrea, were on a boat attempting to reach Italy when it ran out of fuel. Spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Andre Mahecic told journalists in Geneva that when passengers died after the boat then ran out of food and water, the survivors threw them into the sea.

"According to the survivors, a fishing boat came across the five survivors and offered them some bread and water, but then left them. On August 20th, the Guardia di Finanza (Italian Customs Guard) found the boat. The survivors are in very poor health and were taken to Italy for treatment."

Mahecic says apart from the shocking tragedy the incident represents, the UN refugee agency is also concerned that the refugees were not offered any assistance by the many vessels which encountered them, contrary to the longstanding maritime tradition of rescue at sea. UNHCR, he says, would be very concerned if the hardening of government policies towards boat people has the effect of discouraging ship masters from continuing to honour their international maritime obligations.

Diane Bailey, United Nations.

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