AmeriCares’ Life-Saving Work In Darfur

Posted on May 24, 2008
Filed Under Darfur |

americareslogo.bmpI’ve been happily exchanging emails behind the scenes to get you all some insider information on the great life-saving work carried out in Darfur by the humanitarian organization AmeriCares. The following are answers by Christoph Gorder, AmeriCares’ VP of Emergency Response to the few questions I asked. If you have any extra questions, feel free to add them in the comments section and I’ll try and get them answered in a potential interview I might do with the CEO of AmeriCares in the future. Anyways, for now, enjoy this insider-info.

Is it more costly to fly directly into Darfur ?

Guessing the question really is: “Is it more costly to fly directly into West Darfur than into Khartoum , and then deliver goods overland to Darfur ?”

Airlifts are expensive and AmeriCares airlift into West Darfur this week was no different. This airlift — our 10th — cost $130,000. And like every driver and commercial airline knows, the rising cost of fuel is severely impacting the final price tag. AmeriCares flew the same route into West Darfur in 2007 for $86,000. The cost of delivering humanitarian aid is skyrocketing.

The question of cost demonstrates the classic example of the choices, both financial and logistical, that AmeriCares makes when providing emergency relief. The situation on the ground in Darfur is so insecure that delivering the goods overland from Khartoum would put the people delivering the goods and the goods themselves at great risk. While costly, flying the supplies directly into West Darfur ensures that they are delivered into the hands of people who will use the supplies within miles of the landing site. Our main concern is saving lives and restoring health to the people of Darfur . If the option is saving money or ensuring that our aid is safely and effectively delivered, we’ll always choose the option that best guarantees assistance reaches those who need it most in a time effective manner.

How did AmeriCares manage to get permission from the Sudanese government to conduct these direct flights? Were there any difficulties AmeriCares faced in getting this permission?

As with the delivery of goods into any country, there are laws and regulations that must be followed to gain entry. It isn’t surprising that as war rages on, the Sudanese government is extremely cautious about the people and goods flowing in and out of the country. We worked closely with our partner on the ground to complete all of the necessary paperwork and gain the necessary approvals to deliver this shipment of goods. Our long-standing relationship with the Darfur ministry of health, which receives medicines and medical supplies from our airlifts, also helps to ensure we gain access and can deliver goods effectively.

AmeriCares has a long track record of working with the Sudanese government and partner organizations on the ground to deliver life-saving medicines and medical supplies. This is our 10th airlift since 2004 and we have two more airlifts planned for this year. AmeriCares believes that our respect of and adherence to government rules, strong relationships with on-the-ground partners, and supply of life-saving medicines is what allows us to continue airlifts and provide relief to people displaced by the unrest in Darfur.

What’s the positive impact these airlifts are having on the ground? Is it measurable?

AmeriCares airlifts of medicines and medical supplies save lives, prevent the spread of disease and restore health to people living in refugee camps across Darfur . Since 2004, nearly all of the pharmaceuticals distributed in West Darfur have been delivered by AmeriCares. Our deliveries include medicines to combat malaria, cholera, respiratory problems, meningitis, diarrhea, birth trauma and wound infections — all common medical conditions faced by people living in refugee camps. AmeriCares airlifts serve a displaced population of more than 400,000 in West Darfur alone. Since 2004, we’ve delivered more than 152 tons of medicines and medical supplies into North, South and West Darfur

Thank you AmeriCares for your excellent efforts. You guys are awesome!

By the way dear readers, for something relevant, let me just say I received an email from ‘Save Darfur’ a while ago responding to the questions I posed to them. Finally. They’ve also issued a statement denouncing JEM’s attack on Khartoum. It’s good to see them being critical instead of simply providing unconditional support to Darfur’s rebels.

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