A group of 44 people aboard a boat in Malta’s search and rescue zone are in need of immediate rescue, an NGO claimed on Monday. 

Migrant emergency hotline Alarm PhoneIt first reported that a grey fibreglass boat was drifting at sea on Sunday afternoon. 

“They are without water and food, need medical assistance and are drifting at sea,” the NGO posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

It claimed that six hours after alerting the authorities about the boat, there was still no rescue and that two merchant vessels were in the vicinity. 

“We fear that Malta’s Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) will order them to ignore the distressed, as they have done so many times before,” the NGO wrote in an update. 

On Monday afternoon, Alarm Phone reported that the group survived the night but the people were still in danger. 

“They reported high waves and fear for their lives."

The NGO also sent an update to the Armed Forces Malta with new coordinates of the ship, along with the appeal:“The waves are increasing, the boat is overcrowded, and they are at serious risk of shipwreck. The people on the boat are panicked, and urgently asking for help".

Questions were sent to the Armed Forces Malta and the Home Affairs Ministry. 

The distressing report comes days after MED9 leaders called for a “significant increase” in the EU’s effort to tackle migration at its roots and transit countries. 

The leaders of the nine southern EU countries - Malta, Italy, France, Portugal, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, Slovenia and Spain- met in Malta last Friday calling for a step up in negotiations on the EU’s Migration Pact and to reach an agreement before the end of the European Commission’s current legislative term. 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel also met the leaders.