Four people – one man, two women, and a child – lost their lives in a deadly shipwreck off the coast of Tsilia, Gera in southern Lesvos on the morning of October 7. The tragedy left 34 survivors in severe distress.
MSF medical team conducted 34 assessments, providing treatment for injuries and psychological first aid to 5 children and 29 adults. Two individuals required further care and were safely referred to the hospital.
The latest tragedy follows a similar incident on October 4, when a woman died after a speedboat carrying 17 refugees capsized off the coast of Lesvos.
Lives continue to be lost at sea as people seeking safety are forced to undertake dangerous journeys in the absence of safe pathways. At the core of these repeated tragedies are migration policies built on deterrence, violence, and neglect. MSF teams are providing emergency medical and psychological first aid to survivors, but these repeated tragedies highlight the urgent need for sustained humanitarian response and meaningful protection measures for those fleeing conflict, violence, and hardship.
Immediate and collective action is needed to uphold and protect safe migration routes, along with reception systems that respect basic human rights. MSF calls on European authorities and the international community to move away from policies that prioritise border control over human safety and instead focus on preventing further loss of life by providing people with safe alternatives to these deadly journeys.
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- Search and Rescue
