Brussels, 06/05/2003 (Agence Europe) - European Commissioner Poul Nielson, visiting Iraq, held his first meeting at Baghdad Airport with the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Jakob Kellenberg. Neilson will be inspecting projects funded by the Commission's humanitarian aid office ECHO. He highlighted the "crucial role" played by the Red Cross "in protecting the innocent in conflict situations".
Commission spokesperson Reijo Kemppinen told reporters that the EU's first emergency humanitarian airlift to Iraq left Brussels for Baghdad on Tuesday. A Commission press release explains that President Romano Prodi, Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt and Belgian defence minister André Flahaut were present at the take-off. Kempinnen said the EU was ready to continue the airlifts. The first plane (a Belgian military aircraft) will stop off in Athens to load food parcels provided by Medicins du Monde and is expected to arrive in Baghdad on Wednesday afternoon.
The aircraft is loaded with medical supplies including surgical equipment, vaccines, essential drugs such as anaesthetics, oxygen, syringes, operating tables and general equipment needed to run a hospital, explains the press release. NGO partners working to deliver the aid include Medecins du Monde (Canada, Spain and Greece), Aide Medicale Internationale (France) and Première Urgence (France).