Hual offers aid to starving millions

Terry Hutson AS a donation from Leif Hoegh & Co, 231 trucks and trailers were carried aboard the HUAL Europe recently from Norway to Durban for the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies. The white-painted vehicles, all ex-US Army/ Norwegian Army military vehicles, will be used for the distribution of food in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland, where the World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that nearly 13 million people face starvation. According to the WFP 1.2-million tonnes of food aid is urgently required, but donations are proving slow. "There are too many crises in the world today," FTW was told. Food shipments are being imported via the ports of Durban, Maputo, Beira and Nacala, from where they are either railed or road freighted to the respective countries. The trucking fleet has had to remain in Durban for several days to under go clearance, registration and fitting with radio equipment but should be fully deployed by early September. According to Kevin Davy, Africa Development Manager for EGL Eagle Global Logistics, the operation has not been an easy one. He described to FTW how original documentation was unavailable by the time the ship arrived in Durban, which meant that Customs and port formalities could not be completed. Nevertheless both customs and port authorities, in full understanding of the urgency of the situation, came to the rescue by "making a plan" and allowing the formalities to be completed. Port authorities also reduced normal harbour costs for the shipment. Other complications involved the Red Cross and Red Crescent Federation being unable to complete the allocation of the trucks to respective countries, partly due to the refusal of Zambia to accept genetically modified food.