MSF reacts to tragic shipwreck off Samos

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) responded this morning to a devastating shipwreck off the coast of Samos, Greece. Our emergency team, including a doctor, rushed to the scene with food, water, and medical supplies.

Our teams are doing everything possible to provide medical and psychological support, but the suffering we witness is immense and avoidable," said Sonia Balleron, MSF head of mission in Greece. 

Local authorities informed us that most survivors had already been rescued or transported to the camp. MSF provided care to 12 survivors, including a child. Many of those we treated were in profound psychological distress. Survivors recounted harrowing experiences, including witnessing loved ones drown before their eyes.

This incident is not isolated; it is part of a pattern of increasing shipwrecks in the region, placing vulnerable people in dire situations. While we provide immediate medical and psychological support, the scale of suffering demands urgent action to prevent these tragedies.

MSF continues to call for safe migration pathways, humane reception conditions, and comprehensive measures to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis at Europe's borders. 

We urge European authorities and the international community to prioritize human lives and dignity over deterrence policies that force people onto these dangerous journeys.