European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
Bringing hope where hope is hard to reach
Due to the increasing humanitarian needs resulting from the unprecedented drought in the Horn of Africa, coupled with entrenched insecurity in Somalia, the EU launched a series of Humanitarian Air Bridge flights to the country.
These flights, which started in July 2022, reinforce humanitarian logistic capacities to deliver nutrition and medical supplies to hard-to-reach areas.
Our humanitarian partners on the ground then distribute the supplies where they are most needed. It is envisaged that a total of approximately 50 flights will be needed to complete the operation.
Loading the plane in Mogadishu with life-saving supplies.
Upon arrival at the destination, the supplies – in this case, supplements for malnourished children – are handed over to our humanitarian partners on the ground.
UNICEF estimates that by the end of the year, 7.1 million Somalis will be facing severe food insecurity. Some 1.5 million children under the age of 5 will be severely malnourished, accounting for 45% of all children.
Women that have been displaced by the drought and are living in displacement sites being briefed by health workers on how to identify signs of malnutrition and illness in their children.
Babies in the centre for internally displaced persons are screened for malnutrition using the MUAC technique. If the strap around the baby’s arm shows the red, then the child needs urgent supplementary feeding.
Mothers are shown how to treat malnutrition and, if needed, are provided with medicines or nutritional supplements delivered by the Humanitarian Air Bridge.
Ready-to-use therapeutic food is distributed to parents of malnourished children. This life-saving aid is delivered by the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flights.
For these hard-to-reach areas of Somalia affected by the drought and mass displacement of people, airlifts such as the Humanitarian Air Bridge are the only way to get supplies to those who need them the most.
