Two philanthropists are launching a search and rescue operation to save some of the 65,000 migrants who attempt to cross the Mediterranean.
The initiative will use drone technology and a vessel which was once carried out search and rescue work in the US. It will be launched next month.
The drones should be able to sight migrants in distress long before they could be reached by conventional search and rescue services. Flying at speeds of up to 240km per hour, they can remain airborne for six hours or more.
Regina Catrambone, a Italian-born businesswoman, and her American husband own an insurance business in Malta felt moved to help. She said: "These people are desperate. We just want to make sure that they do not die in desperation."
They have hired a retired brigadier of the Maltese armed forces to conduct operations. He said: "We could send the [drones] and determine that some people on a particular boat need life jackets, blankets or water. We will provide them with that."
Asylum seekers and other migrants continue to attempt the perilous crossing, made worse by the conditions imposed by the gangs which traffic them.
On Tuesday, the Italian navy said it had rescued more than 1,700 migrants in the Mediterranean in the past three days.
Last year, after more than 360 people died off the Italian island of Lampedusa, Italy committed nearly 1,000 naval and other personnel to a more elaborate search and rescue effort, codenamed Operation Mare Nostrum.
