Helping the People of Balambala

Today we deliver supplies to the 65 households of Balambala. Unfortunately the old, yellow truck with the green tarp is stuck in the deep desert sand. Despite the efforts of all the helpers to free the vehicle, there is no progress.

The families have to travel two hours through the desert, in order to reach our truck, that will provide them with their rations. About 130 people arrive. At first they are almost exclusively women and children. The women of the village gratefully open the bags they brought to carry the supplies back to their homes. Women are those in charge of the household in the Muslim east of the country. The patriarchs arrive later and observe the events.

20 small bags of corn, ten packs of sugar and flour, five cans of beans, and five bottles of oil are distributed to every household. Enough food for one month, but not enough for stable survival. The next aid supply for Balambala will come, but it’s not certain when.

You can help to support Balambala and other Kenyan villages:

“Ein Flug gegen den Hunger”
Frankfurter Sparkasse
Account No. 200 33 44
BLZ. 500 502 21

For more information on the relief flight visit Lufthansa Cargo.

Help needed

A trip from Nairobi to the eastern provinces of Kenya reveals the appalling dimensions of the famine. Women, marked with the signs of hunger, by the road, waving sticks with white flags. Their message is simple: We need help. Three years without any rain turned Kitui, Tana River, and Garissa into a hostile desert.

The Kenyan government already declared 11 out of the 47 provinces as distressed areas. It’s almost all of the eastern and northern provinces that are affected. According to estimates there are more than 3.7 Million people suffering from starvation. The situation is particularly dramatic for children and the infant mortality rate in these areas is namelessly high.

Especially milk is hard to come by. The mothers are unable to feed their children, due to malnutrition and the cattle is parched. Marin Thomas, Logistics Direktor des IMC, says: “The number of those starving is so immense, that despite our efforts, we can only care for children up to three years. We are not able to treat all the others.”

Even our “Flight against Hunger”, that brought 90 tons of supplies to Nairobi, won’t be able to support all those concerned. This is why we still need your support:

“Ein Flug gegen den Hunger”
Frankfurter Sparkasse
Account No. 200 33 44
BLZ. 500 502 21

In our next entry we will tell you how the aid supplies were delivered to Balambala.
For more information on the relief flight visit Lufthansa Cargo.

Lufthansa Cargo helps to fight hunger in Kenya

Any help is needed in order to solve the hunger crisis in Kenya. This was the immediate learning we took from the landing of the “Flight against Hunger” in the early hours of August 17th. The relief action was organized within mere seven days by the charity organisation “Luftfahrt ohne Grenzen” (LOG – Aviation without borders), Lufthansa Cargo, and many other partners.

Frank Franke, president of the LOG, stated: “The terrifying pictures of suffering people at the Horn of Africa touched the German population and caused a huge willingness to donate money to the cause.”

About 90 tons of relief supplies from Germany were delivered in the MD 11, mostly provisions, medial supplies, and tents. The distribution of the goods by the International Medial Corps (IMC) started on August 22nd.

Lufthansa and all those who were involved are proud to have been part of this mission. However we are aware, that the hunger crisis in Kenya is far from being solved. This is why we want to give you the opportunity to help:

“Ein Flug gegen den Hunger”
Frankfurter Sparkasse
Account No. 200 33 44
BLZ. 500 502 21

In the next days we will tell you more about our trip to Kenya and how those in need received our donations. For more information on the relief flight visit Lufthansa Cargo.