9-24 | Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was informed that MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) has decided to stop their current search and rescue operation on the Mediterranean Sea. As a result, MSF will no longer provide emergency medical assistance and post-rescue care on board the MY Phoenix as it has done since 2 May. Despite the end of MSF’s work on board the MY Phoenix, MSF remains committed to assisting people in the central Mediterranean with its two MSF operated search and rescue vessels, the Dignity I and Bourbon Argos.
9-17 | MSF has reinforced its teams on the Serbian side of the border to Hungary, following the closure of the border which is leading to a rapid increasing number of refugees being stranded on the Serbian side. Part of the MSF team that was working in Roszke (Hungary) for the last weeks is currently supporting the teams in Horgos (Serbia), now that the Roszke camp is empty. As people are also starting to cross from Serbia into Croatia, MSF is today also sending teams to assess the situation on the Serbia-Croatia border.
9-11 | Open letter to European leaders (Copies sent to Switzerland, Norway, FYROM, Serbia and the President of the European Commission) We send you this letter today, together with a lifejacket belonging to one of the 15,000 people rescued at sea by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) since May. This poor quality life vest was the only security a man, woman or child had whilst trying to cross the sea to Europe.
9-11 | 10 September saw the immediate closure of the Captain Elias camp on Kos island, a makeshift building where authorities have been directing refugees to stay while awaiting their registration papers.
9-3 | The MSF boats Dignity I and Bourbon Argos together with the MY Phoenix, operated jointly with MOAS, yesterday rescued 1,658 people in MSF’s biggest day of operations on the Mediterranean Sea since operations began on 2 May.