Brussels, 08/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Friday, the European Commission decided to allocate aid of EUR 8.4 million to finance continued operations of ECHO Flight in the Horn of Africa. These operations provide essential services for the most vulnerable populations of the region, providing access to places which are difficult or impossible to reach by land.
Since 1994, ECHO Flight has carried out 45,000 missions from Nairobi, transporting 170,000 passengers and more than five million tons of cargo. It has also mounted more than 150 emergency evacuations. ECHO Flight has therefore played a crucial role in the successful implementation of humanitarian projects supported by ECHO and other agencies working in Somalia and Sudan. This is why the Commission has today pledged to maintain the high operating standards established by ECHO Flight since its inception in 1994. The contract was awarded to the Commission's current partner, Aviation Assistance.