Pregnant Nigerian woman airlifted from migrant ship

A pregnant Nigerian woman and her husband were airlifted by Malta’s armed forces onboard a charity ship Wednesday.

The charity ship, Ocean Vikings, run by SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders was carrying more than 80 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea.

“We have just completed a medical evaluation of a pregnant woman and her husband with a helicopter from the Armed Forces of Malta, who came from Malta and is now taking this woman who is in need of immediate medical care”, said Nicola Stalla, Search and Rescue Coordinator for SOS Mediterranee.

A midwife and a medical team examined the pregnant woman on the Ocean Viking. They determined she had developed a serious medical complication which could risk her life and that of the baby.

“And now we still have the remaining 82 survivors on board who are in an urgent need as well of a place of safety”, Stalla added.

The charity ship’s appeal to Malta and Italy for a safe place to disembark did not receive an immediate response as at Wednesday.

It is not yet clear if the government that took office last week will continue the policy.

The crew on the Ocean Viking found 50 of the migrants in a rubber boat Sunday, including the woman due to give birth at any time.

The ship took on another 34 migrants Monday from a sailboat operated by another humanitarian group.

AP