14. Supplementary memorandum submitted
by the World Food Programme
WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME USE OF HELICOPTERS AFTER
THE PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE (08/10/05)
When the earthquake struck in Pakistan on 8
October 2005, the World Food Programme (WFP) realised immediately
that the impact of the disaster on infrastructure—such as
roads and bridges—meant that helicopters would be a vital
element in the logistical side of the emergency operation.
As a first practical step, two helicopters under
contract to UNOPS for the Afghanistan operation were immediately
moved across the border to Pakistan and arrived on 11 October,
with a first flight taking place on 12 October.
The overall air capacity of the emergency operations
was built up in the coming days and weeks until a fleet of 24
helicopters were in operation up until March 2006. After March,
the number was reduced to 13 helicopters and the humanitarian
helicopter service in Pakistan was finally wound up in May 2006.
WFP and the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) also had in kind
support from US and NATO forces.
During the course of its operations in the aftermath
of the Pakistan earthquake, the helicopters lifted more than 28,000
tons of food and other aid supplies; transported nearly 40,000
passengers, including thousands of humanitarian workers to the
affected areas; and evacuated some 8,200 sick and wounded to hospitals.
One of the greatest challenges in the early
stages of the emergency operation was locating and paying for
the highly-specialised helicopters required to lift huge cargos
at exceptionally high altitude. Among the fleet, WFP operated
two Russian MI-26 helicopters—the largest cargo helicopters
in the world—which had a capacity to ferry 20 tons of supplies
per flight.
The cost of crewing and flying these craft was
so great that less than four weeks after the Pakistan earthquake,
WFP was faced with the prospect of grounding its helicopters simply
because it did not have the funds to fly them. Fortunately, a
surge in donations during the month of November 2005 allowed the
helicopter operation to continue.
July 2006
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