A baby boy called 'Miracle' has been born in international waters, on board the search and rescue ship the MV Aquarius.
The ship is run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) / Doctors Without Borders and SOS MEDITERRANEE.
The new mother shared with MSF that she spent one year in Libya where she says she was held captive, beaten, given very little food and extorted for money for release.
She says she escaped with her partner and hundreds of others earlier this year and had since been hiding in a friend's house in Libya, before undertaking the dangerous sea crossing on Thursday.
Baby Miracle was born in international waters at 3.45pm, with his mother rescued just days before on Thursday May 24 by an Italian navy vessel and later transferred to the Aquarius.
MSF nurse Aoife Ní Mhurchú said, "The situation in Libya is extremely dangerous for refugees and migrants, with very little access to medical care."
"If she had gone into labour just 48 hours beforehand she would have given birth hiding on a beach in Libya, without any medical assistance."
