here is in il kitif, the port of ben gardane. we received this day 54 bodies from syria. >> reporter: photo after photo shows overcrowded boats-- men and women fighting to stay alive-- and migrants desperately flagging ships for help. when the fishermen find the sinking boats, if they are close enough to european waters, they call the italian authorities but sometimes the italians don't show up. >> he had to rescue them himself, because nobody come. and he waits a long time and nobody come, and people are crying in the sea, and he must help them. >> reporter: the lucky ones who make it to zarzis alive get help from the red crescent. mongi earns his living as a pharmacist, and has made it his volunteer mission to provide the migrants with shelter, food, and support to survive. can you tell me how many people live here? >> in this house, we have four. >> reporter: 18-year-old tuba-- on the right-- is from senegal. how did you end up here in tunisia? >> ( translated ): we were trying to go italy. we left zwara to go to lampedusa. >>