Nearly 200 migrants including Pakistanis saved by rescue ship off Italian coast

Nearly 200 migrants aboard a wooden boat were rescued by a ship in Italian waters on the night of Friday. Among the 190 migrants were Pakistanis, who were found off the coast of Libya about 20 hours after they left the city of Zawiya. According to Geo News, the group was rescued by Doctors Without Borders. The migrants included people from several nations such as Egypt, Syria, Bangladesh, and Palestine. 
 
The people rescued were then brought to the Italian port of Bari on the evening of Sunday in the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) vessel Geo Barents. The MSF is a global and independent humanitarian organisation that provides relief efforts to communities affected by disasters, lack of healthcare, conflict, and pandemics. 

Sharing an update on Twitter, MSF wrote: "Yesterday evening, the 190 survivors have all disembarked in #Bari, #Italy. After this difficult experience, all they need now is to receive the appropriate care and protection. We wish them all the best for the rest of their journey."

Migrants share their ordeal

As the vessel reached Italy, a 25-year-old Pakistani named Toseef sang a song for his wife, who lives in his homeland with their infant. "Toseef 25 years old, sang a romantic song that he dedicated to his wife who is still in #Pakistan with their 5-month-old son. During the 4 months spent in #Libya, he was severely beaten," MSF tweeted. 

36-year-old Yaser, another Pakistani migrant who was rescued, told the organisation that he had moved to Libya to search for a job and that he never expected to visit Europe one day. “They gave us food once a day. If we asked for water, they told us to drink the water from the toilet. They beat us. They took my phone and called my family to ask for money. My family paid and I was able to escape," he said.