'The moment they saw land they started to sing'
The charity Medecins sans Frontieres is running a rescue operation in the Mediterranean to help thousands of migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Europe on overcrowded boats.
We've asked Erna Rijnierse, an MSF doctor aboard a rescue ship - or Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) - to record a diary of her experience for us.
The MY Phoenix has rescued nearly 500 people since its mission began last weekend, most recently pulling 104 people out of a dinghy, transferring them onto a commercial vessel to be taken safely to shore.
In the second instalment of her diary, Dr Rijnierse reports on the elation of the rescued migrants at seeing the Sicilian coast.
Duration:
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Featured in...
21st Century Boat People
Powerful stories of migrants risking all in search of a new life and the people they meet
Saving lives at sea - MSF migrant rescue diary
The diary of MSF doctor Erna Rijnierse aboard a rescue ship in the Mediterranean.
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