The rescue ship Ocean Viking saved 48 migrants from the Mediterranean on Tuesday, most of whom were unaccompanied minors, the aid organization SOS Méditerranée reported on Wednesday.

The group, packed into a dangerously overcrowded small boat, was rescued after the Ocean Viking received a distress alert via VHF radio from a NATO aircraft, the Marseille-based organization said.

According to SOS Méditerranée, “90 percent” of those rescued were minors traveling alone. Most of the survivors are originally from The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. They are now “safe and resting in the on-board shelters,” the group added.

Guinea-Bissau, located on Africa’s west coast, is one of the world’s poorest nations and is widely considered to be deeply affected by corruption.

Controversy Over Port Assignment

Despite the successful rescue, SOS Méditerranée criticized Italian authorities for assigning Ocean Viking the distant port of Ravenna, nearly 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) and four days’ sail from the rescue site.

“This practice… empties the Mediterranean of search and rescue resources and increases the suffering of rescued people,” the organization said in a statement.

Mediterranean Migrant Crisis

The perilous journey across the Mediterranean continues to claim lives. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), approximately 1,985 people have gone missing or died while attempting to reach Europe by sea so far this year.

The Ocean Viking remains a crucial lifeline for migrants risking the dangerous crossing, but the debate over rescue operations and port allocations highlights the challenges of addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis.