Page 8 - LUA September-October 2025 for Magzter

COVER STORY

food aid, healthcare shipments, and PPEs
during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Even when governments declare
a medical emergency, supply chains
move aid. In September 2025, Botswana
received 36.5 tonnes of medicines and
medical supplies to ease its health
crisis. The 82-pallet consignment was
arranged by IDA Foundation, prepared
at Kuehne+Nagel’s healthcare hub in
Dubai, handed to A.P. Moller–Maersk’s
Global Air Charter Desk, and flown in
by Astral Aviation on a Boeing 767-200F.
Before the shipment, Botswana President
Duma Gideon Boko personally inspected
the consignment in Kuehne+Nagel’s
hub in Dubai.
In September 2025, Astral Aviation
also flew 12 tonnes of WHO emergency
supplies from Nairobi to the DRC to
support the Ebola outbreak response,
including PPE for 120 frontline workers,
isolation materials, and hygiene kits.
Chapman Freeborn’s Choriev
highlighted their operational reach: Chapman Freeborn The Wingcopter
“Recent missions include passenger can supply aircraft 198 delivery drone
evacuation flights linked to the
MINUSMA liquidation in Central, capable of serving includes a certified
Western, and Eastern Africa, as well regions with damaged cold chain solution
as humanitarian operations in the infrastructure or which ensures the
Mozambique Channel region. In West
Africa alone, Chapman Freeborn has airstrips where adequate handling
successfully completed over 400 flights. scheduled services and transportation of
Our partner organisations include UN cannot land, or we medicines, vaccines
agencies, NGOs, government offices, and
freight forwarders.” MINUSMA, the UN can set up airdrop and laboratory
peacekeeping mission in Mali launched operations. samples.
in 2013, officially closed its Ansongo
base in November 2023 after a decade TOHIR CHORIEV BENJAMIN PAHLICH
of operations. Chapman Freeborn Wingcopter
Similarly, Lufthansa Cargo plays a crucial
role in supporting humanitarian logistics and belly capacity on 145 weekly flights Sudan, helicopters land on makeshift
global health responses. Burwitz said: “In to more than 20 African destinations pads, while barges carry supplies along
November 2024, Lufthansa Cargo delivered supports resilient supply chains. the Congo River. In Malawi, cholera
100,000 Mpox vaccines from Brussels to Yet Burwitz acknowledged that treatment kits reach communities within
Kinshasa, demonstrating a crucial role innovation and social responsibility days of outbreaks.
in global health initiatives.” The mission remain vital. Since 2007, Lufthansa The results, though never enough, are
brought together the EU Civil Protection and Cargo has supported Cargo Human Care tangible. In 2024, humanitarian agencies
Humanitarian Aid, the German Embassy in e. V., delivering medical aid and helping fed 5 million people, helped 4.8 million
Brussels, Brussels Airport, Swissport, and vulnerable communities in Nairobi and farmers, provided clean water to 3.3
World Courier. rural Kenya. million, delivered emergency education
Burwitz highlighted Lufthansa Cargo’s to nearly 1 million children, and gave
operational strength: a fleet of up to 18 EVEN WHEN HOPE FADES shelter to over 600,000 people.
B777Fs and four A321Fs, with hubs in Despite obstacles, supply chains keep The International Committee of the
Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, Brussels, moving. Aid arrives in Somalia through Red Cross (ICRC) has worked in Africa
and Rome, offering flexibility and Mogadishu and is then delivered for many years. Iacona said teams face
multiple routing options. Additionally, by trucks to drought-hit villages. In challenges like bad weather, hard-to-

6 LUA SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2025