Italy ready to give Humanity 1 assistance says govt

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 3 - The Italian foreign ministry has said in a statement that it is monitoring the situation on the Humanity 1, an NGO-run search-and-rescue ship flying the German flag, and is ready to provide emergency assistance if necessary.
    The Humanity 1 is one of three NGO ships currently in the southern Mediterranean with a combined total of around 1,000 rescued people on board.
    It is carrying 179 asylum seekers, reportedly including 104 unaccompanied minors. The youngest child on the ship is said to be only seven months old.
    On Wednesday the German government called on Rome to help the people on the Humanity 1 fast.
    Last week Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told Humanity 1 and another NGO-run vessel, the Ocean Viking, which has 234 people on board and is flying the Norwegian flag, to stay out of Italian waters, saying they had broken Italian and EU rules.
    Another ship, the Norwegian-flag Geo Barents operated by Doctors Without Borders, currently has 572 people on board.
    The Italian foreign ministry said that it has written to the German embassy to have information about the situation aboard the Humanity 1 in view of "eventual decisions". (ANSA).