Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 21 January 2024
Case name: 2024_01_21 - Eastern Med - 32
Situation: Around 50 people rescued to Cyprus
Status of WTM Investigation: closed
Place of Incident: Eastern Med

Summary of the Case:
On January 21st, early in the night, Alarm Phone was informed about a missing boat in the Eastern Med. The boat had departed from Lebanon with 50 to 60 people on board, and families had lost contact with them while on January 18th whilst they were in Cypriot territorial waters. Alarm Phone alerted authorities and Frontex by email. A few hours later, JRCC Larnaca informed us that they were searching for the boat, without success. We alerted the RCC in the occupied territory of Cyprus, in Turkey, and in Lebanon, as well as the British military bases in Cyprus. In the next days, we kept trying to reach the missing people and investigated with the responsible actors. On January 24th, we finally learned from media reports that a merchant vessel had found the boat 30 nm east of Cape Greco in Cyprus, and that the people were rescued to Ayia Napa. JRCC Larnaca confirmed this information. After several days at sea without food nor water, the people were found dehydrated and some of them had been injured and sick. 5 people were transferred to a hospital, while the others were sent directly to Pournara camp where they were able to claim asylum. We learned from a family member that one of the survivors had to have an amputation following an accident that occurred during the difficult rescue operation. One little girl passed away while she was in the hospital. We mourn this news and send our condolences to her family.