Italy silent as ships with 1,000 rescued migrants seek help

By MASSIMO di NONNO and COLLEEN BARRY
Associated Press

ABOARD THE GEO BARENTS (AP) — Humanitarian groups caring for 1,000 rescued migrants aboard three ships in the central Mediterranean are sounding an alarm about deteriorating conditions on board. But neither Italy nor Malta has responded to their requests for help. Italy’s new far-right-led government signals it may close its ports to humanitarian rescue ships.  Italy’s new interior minister has already set the groundwork to ban humanitarian ships from its ports, while appealing to countries whose flags the rescue ships fly to take on the migrants and relieve Italy.  The Doctors without Borders’ Geo Barents has 572 people on board, SOS Mediteranee’s Ocean Viking has 234 people on board and the SOS Humanity’s Humanity 1 has 179 rescued people.