2,452 deaths were recorded last year in the Mediterranean, according to the International Organization for Migration. A sad note: this sea so close to us is the world’s deadliest migration route. And in recent years, the situation has become worse. “Even though this is no longer receiving media attention, the number of shipwrecks is increasing, and European countries are withdrawing from their responsibilities”denounced Sabine Grenard, employee of the SOS Méditerranée association, which was created in 2015.
The context is dark, but ten years is worth celebrating. At the Théâtre du Châtelet, this December 1, Jeanne Added, Gaël Faye, Isabelle Autissier, Marie Darrieussecq, Souad Massi, Camille Cottin, Faada Freddy and many others will appear on stage, for an evening of support that combines music, dance, theater, humor and testimony. The funds raised (tickets cost between 5 and 45 euros) aim to finance a two-day sea rescue (i.e. 48,000 euros).
This has demonstrated its invaluable effectiveness: since the first mission carried out by SOS Méditerranée in 2016, 42,708 people have been rescued by the humanitarian boats Aquarius and Ocean Viking. But currently, neither of them sailed the sea anymore. The cause is the increasing criminalization of NGO vessels. The most recent horrific illustration occurred on August 24, 2025. The Libyan coast guard opened fire without warning at the Ocean Viking, which was sailing in international waters, threatening the lives of its passengers. “They fired at the cockpit, where the team was placed, at the stretcher, at the radar. We counted about a hundred bullet holes in the ship. We owe it to the extraordinary professionalism of our team, trained in extreme situations, to be able to save themselves and the 87 survivors.”Sabine Grenard details.
Expensive repairs are still underway. Bitter information: the ships piloted by Libya at the start of this attack had been provided by Italy, as part of a program financed by the EU… Today, only three small NGO ships are still plying the Mediterranean, looking for lives to save. So, faced with the deadly failures of European countries and institutions, the SOS Méditerranée team undertook this urgent mission, this “There is an urgent need to recall the facts and inform the general public.”
This December 1, apart from raising funds, the aim is of course to remind as many people as possible of the ongoing humanitarian crisis at the gates of Europe. An evening of collective resistance and commitment.
