Packed into rubber dinghies and old fishing boats, refugees from all over North Africa and the Middle East try to reach the safety of Europe every day. Because many of them have been tortured by smugglers or police, they carry open wounds which can get infected by the noxious combination of fluids in the boat. Leaking gas from engines mixes with salt water and feces along the choppy journey through the sea. Many will not make it.

Organizations like Sea-Watch have been conducting search and rescue operations on the Mediterranean Sea, to try and save refugees' lives. Al Bawaba is happy to share this interview with Sea-Watch’s spokesperson, Mattea Weihe, which was conducted by my colleague Nick Pritchard on April 4th. Just a few days before the interview, one Sea-Watch ship responded to six distress signals, and it was able to save around 450 people.