We pass on the solidarity contribution of the municipality of Sempach in the amount of Fr. 1,000 to the civilian rescue ship OCEAN VIKING. The municipality declined to declare itself a Safe Haven in the summer of 2021, but fulfilled the request for financial support for sea rescue with a donation.
Currently, all donations to Ocan Viking are doubled by the district of Lüneburg. In March 2021, the district declared its solidarity with the demands of the sea bridge for a “safe harbour”. As a result, the district decided in June 2021 to take on a sponsorship for the civilian rescue ship OCEAN VIKING of the European sea rescue organisation SOS Mediterranee.
Seebrücke Lüneburg writes: “This sponsorship means that the district, in cooperation with Seebrücke and SOS Mediterranee, will launch a public appeal for donations to financially support the OCEAN VIKING. The district pledges to participate in this appeal by doubling the donations received up to a maximum of € 100,000 in total. In this way, the district is following the example of the city of Munich, which took on a similar sponsorship for the same ship in December 2019 and conducted a successful fundraising campaign.
The EU states, which should actually provide state-coordinated sea rescue, are not living up to their responsibility. Since 2014, more than 22,940 people have drowned while fleeing across the Mediterranean. Since then, civilian sea rescue has become more important than ever!
Since 2016, SOS Mediterranee has been conducting civilian sea rescue in the Mediterranean and has been using the OCEAN VIKING as a rescue ship since 2019. Since its foundation, the humanitarian organisation has saved the lives of more than 34,500 people. But running a rescue ship is time-, labour- and cost-intensive: it costs €14,000 to fund the OCEAN VIKING for one day. This represents all the costs involved in running the ship, such as chartering, fuel, logistics, teams on board and equipment.
In order for the OCEAN VIKING to continue rescuing people from distress at sea, it needs your support. Her mission is funded by donations.
Donations should be sent to:
Account holder: District of Lüneburg
Credit institution: Sparkasse Lüneburg
IBAN: DE60 2405 0110 0000 0038 71
Reason for payment: OCEAN VIKING
Please be sure to state the intended purpose!
Donations can also be made from outside, these donations will also be doubled!”