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Nigerian woman gives birth on Italy bound rescue boat

Published

March 23, 2017

A Nigerian, Taiwo gives birth on board rescue ship

A Nigerian woman gave birth to a baby girl on a migrant rescue boat en route Italy on Tuesday morning.

The crew on the Aquarius ship had rescued 946 people and was travelling to Italy when the mother, Identified as Taiwo, went into labour.

The birth went smoothly and the baby was named Mercy, weighing a healthy 3.7kg (8 ounces).

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The newborn and her mother disembarked in Catania later on Tuesday. Italian authorities and relief organisations were on hand to assist the rescued migrants.

The midwife on the ship, midwife Elizabeth Ramlow described the incident saying: “Giving birth to a child is one of the most intimate moments in a woman’s life, and she had to go through it on a boat surrounded by complete strangers.”

Monday and Tuesday’s rescues came after a busy weekend, which saw over 3,00 people rescued in one day as migrants take advantage of milder weather to attempt the risky crossing.

The total of 947 brought to shore on Tuesday – including Mercy and 200 unaccompanied children – was a record for the Aquarius boat, coming as aid organizations have raised fears that spring could see a further increase in the number of migrant arrivals.

See photos of the newborn and her mother below.