For many of us, the thoughts of giving birth in any place apart from a hospital would send shivers down our spines; now imagine going into labour while on board a rescue boat in the middle of international waters...

 

Well, that is exactly what happened to mum-of-three Faith Oqunbor, who was in labour for three days before being rescued from a rubber dinghy by SOS Mediterranee in partnership with MSF, a medical charity. 

 

Faith had been experiencing contractions for three days before her son's arrival, and had been rescued from a rubber dinghy a mere 24 hours before he was born. 

 

Taking to Twitter to share the happy news, the charity revealed that because of where the youngster, who was named Newman Otas, was born, his nationality is under discussion. 

 

 

Talking to the BBC, Alva White, MSF Communications Officer, said that youngster, who was delivered aboard the Aquarius, was doing well. 

 

"Just over an hour ago a baby boy was born on board the Aquarius. Mum, bub, dad and two big brothers are all well," she said.

 

"The gorgeous little guy was born in international waters so his nationality is still under discussion."

 

 

 

 

MSF midwife Jonquil Nicholl, who delivered the baby, told the publication that she doesn't know what would have happened had little Newman arrived 24 hours earlier. 

 

 "I am filled with horror at the thought of what would have happened if this baby had arrived 24 hours earlier - in that unseaworthy rubber boat, with fuel on the bottom where the women sit, crammed in with no space to move, at the mercy of the sea," she said.

 

"And 48 hours previously they were waiting on a beach in Libya not knowing what was ahead of them."

 

At the moment there are 392 pregnant women on board the Aquarius. 

 

Congratulations to the family on their new arrival. 

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