ResQ launches fundraising drive to replace ship destroyed by Cyclone Harry

The humanitarian NGO ResQ – People Saving People lost its rescue vessel when Cyclone Harry hit Sicily early in 2026, halting its Mediterranean search‑and‑rescue missions. The ship had saved 496 people since 2021. To restore operations, ResQ started the “Insieme torniamo in mare” campaign, aiming to fund a new civil‑maritime rescue boat. The initiative includes a social challenge called “Mille barchette, una nave,” inviting supporters to post videos of paper boats, and a charity auction of the damaged ship’s artifacts on the Charity Stars platform. Prominent cultural figures such as Gad Lerner, Paolo Fresu, Stefania Rocca, Alessandro Bergonzoni and Ferdinando Vicentini Orgnani have endorsed the effort. ResQ’s president Luciano Scalettari stresses that the organization’s mission to save lives at sea remains unchanged despite the loss of the vessel.