A boat carrying 500 refugees sunk at sea. The story of two survivors
-
0:01 - 0:08Every day, I listen to harrowing stories
of people fleeing for their lives, -
0:08 - 0:11across dangerous borders
and unfriendly seas. -
0:12 - 0:17But there's one story
that keeps me awake at night, -
0:17 - 0:18and it's about Doaa.
-
0:18 - 0:21A Syrian refugee, 19 years old,
-
0:21 - 0:27she was living a grinding existence
in Egypt working day wages. -
0:27 - 0:32Her dad was constantly thinking
of his thriving business back in Syria -
0:32 - 0:36that had been blown to pieces by a bomb.
-
0:36 - 0:42And the war that drove them there
was still raging in its fourth year. -
0:43 - 0:46And the community
that once welcomed them there -
0:46 - 0:49had become weary of them.
-
0:49 - 0:52And one day, men on motorcycles
tried to kidnap her. -
0:53 - 0:58Once an aspiring student
thinking only of her future, -
0:58 - 1:01now she was scared all the time.
-
1:02 - 1:04But she was also full of hope,
-
1:04 - 1:09because she was in love
with a fellow Syrian refugee named Bassem. -
1:09 - 1:14Bassem was also struggling in Egypt,
and he said to Doaa, -
1:14 - 1:18"Let's go to Europe; seek asylum, safety.
-
1:18 - 1:22I will work, you can study --
the promise of a new life." -
1:23 - 1:26And he asked her father
for her hand in marriage. -
1:27 - 1:32But they knew to get to Europe
they had to risk their lives, -
1:32 - 1:35traveling across the Mediterranean Sea,
-
1:35 - 1:40putting their hands in smugglers',
notorious for their cruelty. -
1:41 - 1:45And Doaa was terrified of the water.
-
1:45 - 1:48She always had been.
She never learned to swim. -
1:50 - 1:55It was August that year,
and already 2,000 people had died -
1:55 - 1:57trying to cross the Mediterranean,
-
1:57 - 2:01but Doaa knew of a friend who had made it
all the way to Northern Europe, -
2:01 - 2:03and she thought, "Maybe we can, too."
-
2:04 - 2:07So she asked her parents if they could go,
-
2:07 - 2:10and after a painful discussion,
they consented, -
2:10 - 2:17and Bassem paid his entire life savings --
2,500 dollars each -- -
2:17 - 2:18to the smugglers.
-
2:19 - 2:22It was a Saturday morning
when the call came, -
2:22 - 2:27and they were taken by bus to a beach,
hundreds of people on the beach. -
2:27 - 2:31They were taken then by small boats
onto an old fishing boat, -
2:31 - 2:34500 of them crammed onto that boat,
-
2:34 - 2:36300 below, [200] above.
-
2:37 - 2:42There were Syrians, Palestinians,
Africans, Muslims and Christians, -
2:42 - 2:47100 children, including Sandra --
little Sandra, six years old -- -
2:47 - 2:50and Masa, 18 months.
-
2:51 - 2:55There were families on that boat,
crammed together shoulder to shoulder, -
2:55 - 2:57feet to feet.
-
2:57 - 3:01Doaa was sitting with her legs
crammed up to her chest, -
3:01 - 3:03Bassem holding her hand.
-
3:04 - 3:07Day two on the water,
they were sick with worry -
3:07 - 3:10and sick to their stomachs
from the rough sea. -
3:11 - 3:14Day three, Doaa had a premonition.
-
3:15 - 3:20And she said to Bassem,
"I fear we're not going to make it. -
3:20 - 3:22I fear the boat is going to sink."
-
3:23 - 3:26And Bassem said to her,
"Please be patient. -
3:26 - 3:29We will make it to Sweden,
we will get married -
3:29 - 3:30and we will have a future."
-
3:32 - 3:36Day four, the passengers
were getting agitated. -
3:36 - 3:39They asked the captain,
"When will we get there?" -
3:39 - 3:42He told them to shut up,
and he insulted them. -
3:43 - 3:46He said, "In 16 hours we will reach
the shores of Italy." -
3:47 - 3:50They were weak and weary.
-
3:50 - 3:54Soon they saw a boat approach --
a smaller boat, 10 men on board, -
3:54 - 3:57who started shouting at them,
hurling insults, -
3:57 - 4:02throwing sticks, asking them
to all disembark -
4:02 - 4:06and get on this smaller,
more unseaworthy boat. -
4:06 - 4:09The parents were terrified
for their children, -
4:09 - 4:13and they collectively
refused to disembark. -
4:14 - 4:17So the boat sped away in anger,
-
4:17 - 4:22and a half an hour later, came back
-
4:22 - 4:28and started deliberately ramming a hole
in the side of Doaa's boat, -
4:28 - 4:30just below where she
and Bassem were sitting. -
4:32 - 4:35And she heard how they yelled,
-
4:35 - 4:38"Let the fish eat your flesh!"
-
4:40 - 4:45And they started laughing
as the boat capsized and sank. -
4:46 - 4:49The 300 people below deck were doomed.
-
4:50 - 4:54Doaa was holding on to the side
of the boat as it sank, -
4:54 - 5:01and watched in horror as a small child
was cut to pieces by the propeller. -
5:02 - 5:05Bassem said to her, "Please let go,
-
5:05 - 5:08or you'll be swept in and the propeller
will kill you, too." -
5:08 - 5:10And remember -- she can't swim.
-
5:11 - 5:15But she let go and she started moving
her arms and her legs, -
5:15 - 5:17thinking, "This is swimming."
-
5:17 - 5:21And miraculously,
Bassem found a life ring. -
5:22 - 5:24It was one of those child's rings
-
5:24 - 5:28that they use to play
in swimming pools and on calm seas. -
5:28 - 5:30And Doaa climbed onto the ring,
-
5:30 - 5:34her arms and her legs
dangling by the side. -
5:35 - 5:37Bassem was a good swimmer,
-
5:37 - 5:41so he held her hand and tread water.
-
5:42 - 5:44Around them there were corpses.
-
5:44 - 5:46Around 100 people survived initially,
-
5:47 - 5:51and they started coming together
in groups, praying for rescue. -
5:51 - 5:55But when a day went by and no one came,
-
5:55 - 5:57some people gave up hope,
-
5:57 - 5:59and Doaa and Bassem watched
-
5:59 - 6:06as men in the distance took their
life vests off and sank into the water. -
6:07 - 6:13One man approached them
with a small baby perched on his shoulder, -
6:13 - 6:15nine months old -- Malek.
-
6:15 - 6:20He was holding onto a gas canister
to stay afloat, and he said to them, -
6:20 - 6:22"I fear I am not going to survive.
-
6:22 - 6:24I'm too weak. I don't have
the courage anymore." -
6:25 - 6:30And he handed little Malek
over to Bassem and to Doaa, -
6:30 - 6:33and they perched her onto the life ring.
-
6:34 - 6:39So now they were three,
Doaa, Bassem and little Malek. -
6:39 - 6:42And let me take a pause
in this story right here -
6:42 - 6:45and ask the question:
-
6:45 - 6:49why do refugees like Doaa
take these kinds of risks? -
6:51 - 6:56Millions of refugees are living
in exile, in limbo. -
6:57 - 7:02They're living in countries [fleeing]
from a war that has been raging -
7:02 - 7:04for four years.
-
7:06 - 7:09Even if they wanted to return, they can't.
-
7:09 - 7:12Their homes, their businesses,
-
7:12 - 7:15their towns and their cities
have been completely destroyed. -
7:15 - 7:18This is a UNESCO World Heritage City,
-
7:18 - 7:20Homs, in Syria.
-
7:21 - 7:26So people continue to flee
into neighboring countries, -
7:26 - 7:29and we build refugee camps
for them in the desert. -
7:29 - 7:33Hundreds of thousands of people
live in camps like these, -
7:33 - 7:38and thousands and thousands more,
millions, live in towns and cities. -
7:38 - 7:40And the communities,
-
7:40 - 7:42the neighboring countries
that once welcomed them -
7:42 - 7:44with open arms and hearts
-
7:44 - 7:46are overwhelmed.
-
7:47 - 7:51There are simply not enough schools,
water systems, sanitation. -
7:52 - 7:56Even rich European countries
could never handle such an influx -
7:56 - 8:00without massive investment.
-
8:01 - 8:06The Syria war has driven almost
four million people over the borders, -
8:06 - 8:11but over seven million people
are on the run inside the country. -
8:11 - 8:15That means that over half
the Syrian population -
8:15 - 8:17has been forced to flee.
-
8:18 - 8:22Back to those neighboring
countries hosting so many. -
8:23 - 8:28They feel that the richer world
has done too little to support them. -
8:29 - 8:34And days have turned into months,
months into years. -
8:34 - 8:38A refugee's stay is supposed
to be temporary. -
8:38 - 8:41Back to Doaa and Bassem in the water.
-
8:41 - 8:46It was their second day,
and Bassem was getting very weak. -
8:47 - 8:51And now it was Doaa's turn
to say to Bassem, -
8:51 - 8:56"My love, please hold on to hope,
to our future. We will make it." -
8:57 - 9:00And he said to her,
-
9:00 - 9:05"I'm sorry, my love,
that I put you in this situation. -
9:05 - 9:09I have never loved anyone
as much as I love you." -
9:11 - 9:14And he released himself into the water,
-
9:14 - 9:21and Doaa watched as the love of her life
drowned before her eyes. -
9:24 - 9:26Later that day,
-
9:26 - 9:32a mother came up to Doaa with her
small 18-month-old daughter, Masa. -
9:33 - 9:36This was the little girl I showed you
in the picture earlier, -
9:36 - 9:38with the life vests.
-
9:38 - 9:40Her older sister Sandra had just drowned,
-
9:40 - 9:44and her mother knew she had to do
everything in her power -
9:44 - 9:45to save her daughter.
-
9:46 - 9:50And she said to Doaa,
"Please take this child. -
9:50 - 9:54Let her be part of you.
I will not survive." -
9:55 - 9:58And then she went away and drowned.
-
10:00 - 10:04So Doaa, the 19-year-old refugee
who was terrified of the water, -
10:04 - 10:06who couldn't swim,
-
10:06 - 10:12found herself in charge
of two little baby kids. -
10:12 - 10:15And they were thirsty and they were hungry
and they were agitated, -
10:15 - 10:18and she tried her best to amuse them,
-
10:18 - 10:22to sing to them, to say words
to them from the Quran. -
10:23 - 10:28Around them, the bodies were bloating
and turning black. -
10:28 - 10:29The sun was blazing during the day.
-
10:29 - 10:32At night, there was a cold moon and fog.
-
10:32 - 10:34It was very frightening.
-
10:35 - 10:40On the fourth day in the water,
this is how Doaa probably looked -
10:40 - 10:42on the ring with her two children.
-
10:42 - 10:45A woman came on the fourth day
and approached her -
10:45 - 10:49and asked her to take another child --
-
10:49 - 10:52a little boy, just four years old.
-
10:53 - 10:57When Doaa took the little boy
and the mother drowned, -
10:57 - 10:59she said to the sobbing child,
-
10:59 - 11:02"She just went away
to find you water and food." -
11:04 - 11:06But his heart soon stopped,
-
11:06 - 11:10and Doaa had to release
the little boy into the water. -
11:11 - 11:13Later that day,
-
11:13 - 11:16she looked up into the sky with hope,
-
11:16 - 11:20because she saw two planes
crossing in the sky. -
11:20 - 11:25And she waved her arms,
hoping they would see her, -
11:25 - 11:27but the planes were soon gone.
-
11:27 - 11:30But that afternoon,
as the sun was going down, -
11:30 - 11:33she saw a boat, a merchant vessel.
-
11:34 - 11:38And she said, "Please, God,
let them rescue me." -
11:38 - 11:42She waved her arms and she felt
like she shouted for about two hours. -
11:42 - 11:47And it had become dark,
but finally the searchlights found her -
11:47 - 11:49and they extended a rope,
-
11:49 - 11:54astonished to see a woman
clutching onto two babies. -
11:55 - 11:58They pulled them onto the boat,
they got oxygen and blankets, -
11:58 - 12:01and a Greek helicopter came
to pick them up -
12:01 - 12:03and take them to the island of Crete.
-
12:04 - 12:08But Doaa looked down and asked,
"What of Malek?" -
12:08 - 12:12And they told her the little baby
did not survive -- -
12:12 - 12:15she drew her last breath
in the boat's clinic. -
12:16 - 12:22But Doaa was sure that as they had
been pulled up onto the rescue boat, -
12:22 - 12:25that little baby girl had been smiling.
-
12:27 - 12:33Only 11 people survived
that wreck, of the 500. -
12:34 - 12:39There was never an international
investigation into what happened. -
12:39 - 12:43There were some media reports
about mass murder at sea, -
12:43 - 12:44a terrible tragedy,
-
12:44 - 12:47but that was only for one day.
-
12:47 - 12:51And then the news cycle moved on.
-
12:53 - 12:57Meanwhile, in a pediatric
hospital on Crete, -
12:57 - 13:00little Masa was on the edge of death.
-
13:02 - 13:05She was really dehydrated.
Her kidneys were failing. -
13:05 - 13:07Her glucose levels were dangerously low.
-
13:07 - 13:11The doctors did everything
in their medical power to save them, -
13:11 - 13:15and the Greek nurses never left her side,
-
13:15 - 13:17holding her, hugging her,
singing her words. -
13:17 - 13:22My colleagues also visited
and said pretty words to her in Arabic. -
13:22 - 13:27Amazingly, little Masa survived.
-
13:28 - 13:34And soon the Greek press started reporting
about the miracle baby, -
13:34 - 13:40who had survived four days in the water
without food or anything to drink, -
13:40 - 13:45and offers to adopt her came
from all over the country. -
13:45 - 13:49And meanwhile, Doaa
was in another hospital on Crete, -
13:49 - 13:50thin, dehydrated.
-
13:52 - 13:57An Egyptian family took her into their
home as soon as she was released. -
13:58 - 14:03And soon word went around
about Doaa's survival, -
14:03 - 14:06and a phone number
was published on Facebook. -
14:07 - 14:10Messages started coming in.
-
14:11 - 14:16"Doaa, do you know
what happened to my brother? -
14:16 - 14:22My sister? My parents? My friends?
Do you know if they survived?" -
14:23 - 14:27One of those messages said,
-
14:27 - 14:31"I believe you saved
my little niece, Masa." -
14:32 - 14:35And it had this photo.
-
14:36 - 14:38This was from Masa's uncle,
-
14:38 - 14:43a Syrian refugee who had made it
to Sweden with his family -
14:43 - 14:45and also Masa's older sister.
-
14:46 - 14:51Soon, we hope, Masa will be reunited
with him in Sweden, -
14:51 - 14:57and until then, she's being cared for
in a beautiful orphanage in Athens. -
14:58 - 15:04And Doaa? Well, word went around
about her survival, too. -
15:05 - 15:09And the media wrote
about this slight woman, -
15:09 - 15:13and couldn't imagine how
she could survive all this time -
15:13 - 15:16under such conditions in that sea,
-
15:16 - 15:19and still save another life.
-
15:20 - 15:26The Academy of Athens, one of Greece's
most prestigious institutions, -
15:26 - 15:29gave her an award of bravery,
-
15:29 - 15:32and she deserves all that praise,
-
15:32 - 15:35and she deserves a second chance.
-
15:36 - 15:39But she wants to still go to Sweden.
-
15:39 - 15:42She wants to reunite
with her family there. -
15:42 - 15:46She wants to bring her mother
and her father and her younger siblings -
15:46 - 15:48away from Egypt there as well,
-
15:48 - 15:51and I believe she will succeed.
-
15:51 - 15:54She wants to become a lawyer
or a politician -
15:54 - 15:59or something that can help
fight injustice. -
15:59 - 16:02She is an extraordinary survivor.
-
16:03 - 16:06But I have to ask:
-
16:06 - 16:08what if she didn't have to take that risk?
-
16:08 - 16:11Why did she have to go through all that?
-
16:11 - 16:16Why wasn't there a legal way
for her to study in Europe? -
16:16 - 16:21Why couldn't Masa have taken
an airplane to Sweden? -
16:21 - 16:23Why couldn't Bassem have found work?
-
16:24 - 16:30Why is there no massive resettlement
program for Syrian refugees, -
16:30 - 16:33the victims of the worst war of our times?
-
16:34 - 16:39The world did this for the Vietnamese
in the 1970s. Why not now? -
16:41 - 16:45Why is there so little investment
in the neighboring countries -
16:45 - 16:48hosting so many refugees?
-
16:49 - 16:52And why, the root question,
-
16:52 - 16:58is so little being done to stop
the wars, the persecution -
16:58 - 17:03and the poverty that is driving
so many people -
17:03 - 17:05to the shores of Europe?
-
17:06 - 17:09Until these issues are resolved,
-
17:09 - 17:12people will continue to take to the seas
-
17:12 - 17:15and to seek safety and asylum.
-
17:16 - 17:18And what happens next?
-
17:18 - 17:21Well, that is largely Europe's choice.
-
17:21 - 17:24And I understand the public fears.
-
17:25 - 17:31People are worried about their security,
their economies, the changes of culture. -
17:32 - 17:36But is that more important
than saving human lives? -
17:37 - 17:40Because there is something
fundamental here -
17:40 - 17:42that I think overrides the rest,
-
17:42 - 17:46and it is about our common humanity.
-
17:47 - 17:51No person fleeing war or persecution
-
17:51 - 17:56should have to die
crossing a sea to reach safety. -
17:56 - 18:03(Applause)
-
18:03 - 18:04One thing is for sure,
-
18:04 - 18:07that no refugee would be
on those dangerous boats -
18:07 - 18:09if they could thrive where they are.
-
18:10 - 18:13And no migrant would take
that dangerous journey -
18:13 - 18:17if they had enough food
for themselves and their children. -
18:17 - 18:19And no one would put their life savings
-
18:19 - 18:22in the hands of those notorious smugglers
-
18:22 - 18:25if there was a legal way to migrate.
-
18:25 - 18:29So on behalf of little Masa
-
18:29 - 18:31and on behalf of Doaa
-
18:31 - 18:33and of Bassem
-
18:33 - 18:38and of those 500 people
who drowned with them, -
18:38 - 18:41can we make sure that they
did not die in vain? -
18:42 - 18:46Could we be inspired by what happened,
-
18:46 - 18:52and take a stand for a world
in which every life matters? -
18:53 - 18:54Thank you.
-
18:54 - 19:01(Applause)
- Title:
- A boat carrying 500 refugees sunk at sea. The story of two survivors
- Speaker:
- Melissa Fleming
- Description:
-
Aboard an overloaded ship carrying more than 500 refugees, a young woman becomes an unlikely hero. This single, powerful story, told by Melissa Fleming of the UN's refugee agency, gives a human face to the sheer numbers of human beings trying to escape to better lives ... as the refugee ships keep coming ...
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 19:15
Brian Greene commented on English subtitles for A boat carrying 500 refugees sunk at sea. The story of two survivors | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for A boat carrying 500 refugees sunk at sea. The story of two survivors | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for A boat carrying 500 refugees sunk at sea. The story of two survivors | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for A boat carrying 500 refugees sunk at sea. The story of two survivors | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for A boat carrying 500 refugees sunk at sea. The story of two survivors | ||
Brian Greene approved English subtitles for A boat carrying 500 refugees sunk at sea. The story of two survivors | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for A boat carrying 500 refugees sunk at sea. The story of two survivors | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for A boat carrying 500 refugees sunk at sea. The story of two survivors |
Brian Greene
This transcript was updated on May 16, 2016.
The section beginning at 2:27 now reads:
They were taken then by small boats
onto an old fishing boat,
500 of them crammed onto that boat,
300 below, [200] above.