Help for people in distress at sea

Support our operations in the central Mediterranean with the sailing ship NADIR!
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Latest news

Medical assistance on the NADIR: between swell, exhaustion and responsibility for human lives

Newsletter from October 04, 2025: Today we would like to use the newsletter to draw attention to those who have provided medical care and treatment to over 950 peoplein the last two years: the team...

Three sisters drown in rubber boat – NADIR rescues 65 people in distress at sea

Press release from August 24, 2025:   Three sisters drown in rubber boat – NADIR rescues 65 people in distress at sea   In the night from Friday to Saturday, the sailing vessel NADIR operated by the...

At least one dead and three missing in the Mediterranean. Civilian monitoring vessel NADIR rescued 36 people from an unseaworthy boat and 12 more from the water hours later.

Press release from August 1, 2025: At least person dead and three missing in the Mediterranean. Civilian monitoring vessel NADIR rescued 48 people from distress at sea and 12 more from the water...

Criminalization costs – we are looking for support to continue!

Newsletter from July 25, 2025: The pressure on our humanitarian work is increasing. NADIR has been detained by the Italian authorities for the second time in a month - on flimsy grounds. It is an...

The obstruction of search and rescue vessels causes hundreds of deaths at sea

SV Nadir detained at Molo Commerciale, Lampedusa. Image: Paula Gaess / Resqship32 organisations demand the immediate ending of the systematic obstruction of non-governmental search and rescue (SAR)...

NADIR BLOCKED IN PORT – again! Political repression against RESQSHIP continues.

Press Release 8 July 2025  NADIR BLOCKED IN PORT – again! Political repression against RESQSHIP continues.  The civilian sailing ship NADIR, operated by the German NGO RESQSHIP, has been hindered of...

RESQSHIP at the LOUD AID Festival – We are DIVERSITY!

RESQSHIP is part of this year's LOUD AID Festival at Hamburg's Spielbudenplatz - a powerful political rally for diversity, solidarity and human dignity. With a video presentation, a speech and an...

German government cuts funding for civilian sea rescue – NADIR continues to sail!

Newsletter from July 03, 2025: It's incredible: the new German government has barely taken office when funding for civilian sea rescue is completely cut from the 2025 federal budget. The decision...

Job advertisement parental leave replacement as ship technician (50-100%) (m/f/d)

Job advertisement parental leave replacement as ship technician (50-100%) (m/f/d) As an NGO, we work against the deaths in the Mediterranean and to this end observation operations with our motor...

Scirocco Festival – The festival without borders on 04.-06.07.25 in Berlin

An anti-racist festival with an uncompromising stance in favor of freedom of movement. Berlin, 4th – 6th July RESQSHIP is co-organizer of the anti-racist Scirocco Festival in Berlin! Together with...

Our goals

Saving lives

We do not want to let people fleeing across the Mediterranean die of drowning or thirst and want to alleviate their immediate suffering.

Understanding

Everyone has the right to life, to physical integrity and to practice their religion. People must not be allowed to drown in the sea because of economic interests or intolerance.

Create attention

We want to use many events to draw attention to the catastrophic situation in which people fleeing beyond Europe’s borders find themselves.

Justice

We need to raise awareness in society and politics of the links between our trade and the global migration movement. An important part of this is documenting the situation in the central Mediterranean.

“FC St. Pauli stands behind your efforts, thank you for your work”

“Thank you to all sea rescuers. It’s great that there are you brave, great people who are so fully committed – in this broken world. Let’s stick together!”

– Udo Lindenberg, musician

“If we still have a last remnant of humanity in us, we must not allow people to drown in the Mediterranean.”

“The EU decided back in 2014 to severely restrict sea rescues in the Mediterranean. I support NGOs like RESQSHIP to save as many people as possible whose deaths are being accepted by politics every day.”

“I don’t want to see people fleeing violence in all its forms and inhumane living conditions end up dying in the Mediterranean.”

“Thousands die every year on the run. The Mediterranean is becoming a sea of death. As long as the causes of flight, the plundering of entire countries and wars, are not eliminated, help is needed: saving lives at sea with RESQSHIP.”

– Rolf Becker, theater and film actor

“Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person, according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

“If we stop granting people the same universal rights, if we stop saving lives, if we collectively bury empathy – then we can leave it alone. Then we can stop all this Europe nonsense.”

 

– Moritz Neumaier, stand-up comedian

“Life must not perish.”

 

– Ben Becker, theater and film actor

“We must protect and save our sisters and brothers – regardless of skin color – from war and death. This is a necessary act of human charity.”

Missions

Between political repression, rough seas and boundless courage

Operational report 6 – 2025 (19.7.-9.8.2025) written by Paula Gaess, crew member on operation 6/2025The sixth crew of NADIR began their operation under unusual circumstances. The ship was only...

Detained in port: waiting and preparations

Mission report 5 - 2025 (21.6.-12.7.2025)Detained in port: waiting and preparations The crew met in Porto Empedocle - on our motorsailer NADIR, which was still moored at the time. We used the time...

NADIR is detained by the Italian authorities for 20 days

Operational report 4 - 2025 (31.5.-21.6.2025) The defining event of the 4th mission in 2025 was the arrest by the Italian authorities - the first time in RESQSHIP's history. After the first rescue,...

5 DAYS AT SEA – NADIR FINDS PEOPLE WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED MISSING

Operational report 2 - 2025 (5.4.-26.4.2025) In April, the NADIR helped 129 people in distress in three different maritime emergencies in the central Mediterranean. After the ship was forced out of...

Le Mediterrané est une cimetière! – The Mediterranean is a cemetery! The EU’s isolationist policy is killing!

Deploymentreport 1 - 2025 (8.3.-29.3.2025) Mokwele, 30 years old, from Cameroon, and Nazem, 23 years old, from Sudan.   Our mission is overshadowed by the death of two people. They drowned...

Nadir supports more than 200 people – and one cat

Nadir's tenth and final deployment in the Mediterranean in 2024 was characterized by uncertainties and adversities in the first three weeks of November. It was questionable how the new agreement...

First 2024 crew in the field helps rescue 229 people in distress at sea – and recovers a body

by Yannic L., crew member on the Nadir on mission 2/2024 (May), photos: Leon Salner and Friedhold Ulonska While the criminalization of migration reaches a new level in Tunisia, the Tunisian...

Deployment in turbulent times: Triage, grief and solidarity

by Paula Gaess, crew member on the Nadir on mission 7/2023 (September): The seventh deployment of the Nadir this year was marked by Storm Daniel, which swept across the Mediterranean and delayed...

Donations

Our donation account:

IBAN: DE 18 4306 0967 2070 8145 00
BIC: GENO DE M1 GLS
GLS Gemeinschaftsbank eG

Further donation options

Become a supporting member

As a supporting member, you can help us to help people in need with a monthly donation pledge.

Betterplace

You can find out more about our donation target on the Betterplace donation platform.

Our newsletter

Medical assistance on the NADIR: between swell, exhaustion and responsibility for human lives

Newsletter from October 04, 2025: Today we would like to use the newsletter to draw attention to those who have provided medical care and treatment to over 950 peoplein the last two years: the team...

Criminalization costs – we are looking for support to continue!

Newsletter from July 25, 2025: The pressure on our humanitarian work is increasing. NADIR has been detained by the Italian authorities for the second time in a month - on flimsy grounds. It is an...

German government cuts funding for civilian sea rescue – NADIR continues to sail!

Newsletter from July 03, 2025: It's incredible: the new German government has barely taken office when funding for civilian sea rescue is completely cut from the 2025 federal budget. The decision...

NADIR detained for the first time – we reject the accusations!

Newsletter from June 19, 2025: It was a shock: on June 8, our sailing ship NADIR was detained by the Italian authorities in Lampedusa for 20 days - demonstrably unlawfully. The crew had previously...

The NADIR ends its third mission in 2025

Newsletter from May 29, 2025: We remember those who died in the Mediterranean for whom our help came too late. The NADIR left the operational area a few days ago for a crew change. This year's third...

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Imprint

Resqship e.V. Osterrade 4, 21031 Hamburg
© 2024 RESQSHIP

Donation account:

IBAN: DE 18 4306 0967 2070 8145 00
BIC: GENO DE M1 GLS
GLS Gemeinschaftsbank eG