August 16 - Maximus Air Cargo is deploying relief flights during the month of Ramadan to help the drought stricken West African state of Chad. Supplies, provided by the UAE Red Crescent, are being dispatched from Abu Dhabi to victims of the severe drought
Aid agencies have warned that up to ten million in West Africa are now facing starvation in conditions similar to the famine of Ethiopia in 1984. The region has suffered hot temperatures, lack of rain and bad harvests.
In its six years of operations the airline, which is a part of Abu Dhabi Aviation group, has delivered aid to disaster zones such as Aceh, Pakistan, Sumatra and Haiti. The fleet features heavyweight aircraft such as the AN124-100 and IL76TD which are able to carry large loads of relief and land in devastated zones with little or no infrastructure.
Commenting on the latest mission Fathi Buhazza, president and CEO of Maximus Air Cargo and founder of Care by Air said: "The situation in Chad is heartbreaking. During Ramadan, those less fortunate than ourselves lie at the forefront of our thoughts. I think it is important to remember that whether you are a large air cargo airline like ourselves or just a simple individual, there is something we can all do to help."
Maximus Air Cargo's Ilyushin-76 delivers 35 tonnes of urgent relief aid to drought stricken Chad on behalf of the UAE Red Crescent. The humanitarian supplies, pictured here beside the plane on the tarmac of Ndjamena Hassan Djamous Airport, will be distributed to those in need
