In Pictures
Desperate journeys: Lending a helping ship
A private initiative patrols the Mediterranean waters every day, rescuing stranded refugees.
More then 268,000 refugees have crossed the Mediterranean Sea this year with over 3,100 dying or missing, according to the latest numbers from the UN refugee agency.
The world currently faces its largest global displacement crisis since World War II. The European refugee crisis continues with rising numbers of people making the desperate journey to the European Union to seek asylum, both by sea and land.
The central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Italy is considered the most dangerous route with more than 23,000 people dying since 2000.
Sea-watch is a private initiative of several families from Germany who decided to help by sending a 30-metre ship, Sea Watch 2, to patrol the international waters off the Libyan coast and participate in the rescue of refugees who are trying to cross into Europe via the Mediterranean route.
