Search And Rescue Enters Peak Season For MOAS Operations

LAMPEDUSA, ITALY - MAY 18: Refugees and migrants keep warm under blankets on board the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) Phoenix vessel after being rescued at sea on May 18, 2017 in the Lampedusa, Italy. Numbers of refugees and migrants attempting the dangerous central Mediterranean crossing from Libya to Italy has risen since the same time last year with more than 43,000 people recorded so far in 2017. MOAS is a Malta based NGO dedicated to providing professional search-and-rescue assistance to refugees and migrants in distress at sea. Since the start of the year MOAS have rescued and assisted 3214 people and are currently patrolling and running rescue operations in international waters off the coast of Libya. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)