Iberia, Supported by IAG Cargo, Carries Humanitarian Aid for Haiti in Commercial Aircraft

• The first shipment included nine large tents for use as classrooms, health clinics, or safe spaces for children in the disaster-ridden Caribbean nation.

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Iberia, a strategic ally of UNICEF España since 2013, has made its first delivery of humanitarian aid bound for Haiti to help ease the desperate situation of a country hits by an earthquake last August. IAG Cargo is acting as logistics facilitator.

It is an unprecedented milestone for the UNICEF España alliance with Iberia and the UN body’s global alliance with the Amadeus ticket booking company, marking the beginning of a new collaborative approach that utilizes the knowledge and experience of logistical teams, the Iberia fleet, and its commercial routes on behalf of children and the most vulnerable people.

“It’s really exciting to begin working with our strategic ally Iberia which is carrying humanitarian supplies in its commercial airliners, thanks to the support of IAG Cargo,” commented Marta López Fesser, UNICEF España’s Corporate Alliances director. “This is the type of shared-value strategic alliance  that generates a positive and lasting impact on the entire society, and especially on on children and youth.”

The first shipment included nine large and versatile high-performance tents which can be used as classrooms, health clinics, nutrition points, or psycho-social support facilities In classroom format the 73 sq.m tents can accommodate 20-30 pupils. They can also be used as safe spaces for the protection of children and families.

The all-weather tents, developed by UNICEF in collaboration with private partners, were tested in Afghanistan, the Philippines, and Uganda, and have now been redesigned to help care for children in disaster zones. Their windows have been reinforced and offer better illumination and ventilation, and the ground anchoring system has been improved. They can be equipped with solar and electrical fittings, and a special winter lining.

Iberia’s Sustainability Manager Teresa Parejo said, “This is a new step forward in our strategic alliance with UNICEF España, in which we put our fleet and destinations at its disposal for helping deliver emergency supplies where they are needed, in this instance to Haiti. This first shipment was flown to our Santo Domingo destination in the Dominican Republic which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, to the west. This action shows how aviation is not only important for business or leisure travel, but also for helping in emergencies.”

“For IAG Cargo it’s a privilege to play an active role in this first shipment of humanitarian aid,” commented Idoia Martínez, IAG Cargo Sales Manager for Spain and Portugal. “Thanks to Iberia’s donation of cargo space to UNICEF, we are shipping nearly five tonnes of supplies. This is a great example of how the private sector can help to alleviate such drastic situations as Haiti is now facing.”

Haiti’s Humanitarian Emergency and UNICEF’s Response

Following the disastrous earthquake in southeastern Haiti on 14 August, registering 7.2 on the Richter scale, some 650,000 Haitians, including some 260,000 children and youths, are in dire need of humanitarian aid, and are threatened by starvation and disease.

Many hospitals in the area were destroyed or damaged by the earthquake: Many people still lack access to clean drinking water, sanitation, and basic health services.

Local authorities have been overwhelmed and are unable to deal effectively with the situation in Haiti, one of the worlds poorest countries, where malnutrition was chronic even before the earthquake. Since this latest disaster, infant and maternal mortality rates have soared.

UNICEF is working with its allies to bring essential medicines, medical equipment, and food supplies, while attempting to rebuild health centres and strengthen the supply chain of essential health items.

UNICEF has called for $73.3 million (€63.4 million) to fund these efforts, and help restore nutrition, medical care, education, as safety to Haiti’s children.