Freight companies famine aid

A group of companies in Luxembourg, including some offering air freight and logistics services have responded to an appeal by the Luxembourg Committee for UNICEF.  They are funding the transport costs by air of 105 tonnes of life-saving nutritional supplies for the Horn of Africa.

The food product of mixed, partially cooked and milled cereals is cooked with water to make a porridge for the malnourished.  UNICEF is also be shipping three refrigerators used for vaccines by truck.

The shipment travelled by air freight from Luxembourg to Nairobi, Kenya on board  a 747-400 freighter. The aircraft will took off from Luxembourg Airport on Friday, the 12th August just after midday.

UNICEF needs to ship several hundred tonnes of food supplies to the regional hub in Nairobi each week as quickly as possible.  Shipping life-saving nutritional supplies by air is a costly operation with transport costs largely exceeding the value of the shipment.

The companies say they are pleased to contribute to disaster relief efforts by offering immediate and urgent help to communities hit by emergencies as part of their social responsibility policy.