An EU humanitarian airlift flight carrying 41 tonnes of medical supplies took off on Wednesday 29 July for South Sudan, the European Commission announced on the same day.
It brings to 45 the number of flights from the airlift set up on 8 May by the EU to overcome the logistical difficulties faced by humanitarian organisations in critical areas as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In total, the Commission coordinated and financed the delivery of more than 1,100 tonnes of medical equipment to these critical areas in Africa, Asia and America.
These flights also transported 1,475 medical and humanitarian workers.
Twelve vulnerable non-Member States, which are EU partners, have benefited (Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iran, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, Somalia, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq and Yemen).
“Our EU humanitarian airlift flights have made a real difference for countries with fragile health systems”, according to the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič. Other flights are being planned.
In addition to transport capacity, the EU has provided diplomatic support to facilitate humanitarian access. The EU coordinates and complements UN air operations managed by the World Food Programme. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)