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Open Arms: Actor Richard Gere delivers groceries to stranded migrant ship

U.S. actor Richard Gere helps to carry supplies aboard the Open Arms rescue boat
U.S. actor Richard Gere helps to carry supplies aboard the Open Arms rescue boat Copyright  Open Arms/Reuters TV via REUTERS
Copyright Open Arms/Reuters TV via REUTERS
By Lauren Chadwick
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In pictures posted to the charity's Twitter account, Gere was shown unloading boxes of fruit, vegetables, and water

US actor Richard Gere delivered groceries to a stranded Spanish charity ship with 121 migrants on board on Thursday.

The ship has been stranded for eight days after rescuing migrants from two rafts in the Mediterranean. It has been denied entry from both Italy and Malta.

The crew recently warned that they would soon run out of food.

In pictures posted to the charity's Twitter account, Gere was shown unloading boxes of fruit, vegetables, and water.

The actor appeared in a video message asking people to support the charity and the migrants on board.

"The two boats that were rescued here, probably all hands on board would have been lost. So the people that you see here on this boat, they’re only here because of the donations to Open Arms for the work that Open Arms does," Gere said in the video.

He said he had arrived from Lampedusa.

Open Arms said it had sent letters to Spain, France, and Germany asked for help to find a solution. European Parliament president David Sassoli called for emergency assistance in a letter to the European Commission.

A spokesperson for the European Commission said they had contacted member states "asking them to show solidarity" but that no member state had requested coordination.
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Read more about the stranded ship here._

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