26 September 2011, Seoul, Korea – South Korea’s flagship airline Korean Air joins the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to transport relief supplies to fight against hunger in Africa.
The UN World Food Programme, a global humanitarian effort helps to feed the millions of people from the African famine stricken countries. Korean Air will operate one weekly flight, four cargo charter freights to transport approximately 400 tonnes of UN relief supplies to Africa starting later this month. Korean Air will first provide air transport between Brussels in Belgium, where the UN food aid stockpiled, and Mombasa in Kenya. Then the UN will transport the cargo from Mombasa to Somalia’s dispute regions over land.
All transportation costs will be shared between Korean Air and the Korean government.
Korean Air Chairman and CEO Mr. Yang Ho Cho who is also chairman of the Hanjin Group responded immediately to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s appeal to South Korean corporations for humanitarian assistance in resolving famine issues in Africa.
More about the famine in Africa
- Eastern Africa suffers from chronic food shortage for a very long time. The droughts in recent years have exacerbated the situation.
- Estimated 13.3 million people suffer from famine and malnutrition in four East African countries including Ethopia, Kenya, Djibouti and Somalia.
- UN believed that the malnutrition and mortality rates in Somalia have surpassed the thresholds and declared famine in five districts including the refugee camp in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu in August.
- 3.7 million people, half of Somalia’s population are facing severe famine.
Korean Air has been supporting relief efforts to various countries. In 2008, Korean Air transported blankets and mineral water after the Sichuan earthquake. In 2010, the carrier made donations in aid of the relief efforts after the Qinghai earthquake. Korean Air also provided free transportation of emergency aid after the earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand this year. It will continue its commitment to active participation in global relief efforts.
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