South AfricaRelief flights to remote communities
The DEAR Foundation Switzerland’s support to Mercy Air in Southern Africa has helped get aid to those at the end of the line, providing aid to remote communities in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Goal:
Facilitate the provision of relief services to remote communities in Southern Africa via helicopter, reducing the cost and time it takes to reach them, improving the efficiency of aid delivery and saving lives.
Objectives:
1. Helicopter relief services: Ensure consistent availability of qualified personnel and essential spare parts to efficiently operate helicopter aid delivery services.
2. Facilitate aid delivery: Partner with other relief organisations to enhance the scope of aid provided, including medical, agricultural, educational, and disaster relief supplies.
A lack of road access means many villages in this part of the world can only be reached by long treks through arduous terrain, making it difficult for both government and not-for-profit organisations to provide relief to those in need.
Mercy Air overcomes this by providing helicopter logistical services to help local partner organisations fly in supplies and specialists. Over the years, this has included everything from medical aid and agricultural assistance, through to educational materials and natural disaster relief.
Getting the pilots, technicians and spare parts to keep these operations going is not an easy task, but makes an immense difference to the lives of people in the communities they serve.
With its more than 1,000 interventions per year, the lives of the local population can be improved in the long term.
