Using helicopters to help in disasters

A better system doesn’t sound very glamorous does it. But there’s a quote that really helped us in founding Wings Like Eagles:

“We need a better system to make sure that we have available and are able to draw upon quickly the logistics required – for example – helicopters, ships and aircraft.” (emphasis ours)

How did we get there?

You will recall a seed was sown watching the disaster response to the 2000 floods in Mozambique.

Then we wanted confirmation that the problem was getting worse in the subsequent six years. The UN’s Kofi Annan gave us that.

So who said we need a better system?

The UK has one of the world’s most respected government development departments. We belong to a Commonwealth of nations that gives us genuine links that governments around the world want to have. For some people this is just neo-colonialism or the wake of a long past Empire. I disagree. Several countries that weren’t in the British Empire have joined the Commonwealth by their request. This is more complex.

So the UK government has a world view shaped by the opinions of many countries around the world. And for the poorest ones we are committed to their development. So the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) has world wide respect. It has a research arm too – the Overseas Development Institute, which is also internationally regarded.

Humanitarian aid comes in two parts – long term development and short term disaster response. UK’s DfID does both.

So when the UK’s Secretary of State for International Development speaks, he knows what he’s talking about, and Hilary Benn did.

Where did he say it?

And when the UK says it in a public speech to the United Nations, it’s not some political ploy.

We agree.

But one of the problems of the 21st century is we can search for news until someone agrees with us. We don’t agree for that reason. No, we agree because we did:

= 6 months of research into the way disaster affect everyone on the planet.

= and our CEO moved around in the most vulnerable parts three times

• two of the reconnaissance trips were by car,

• one was by air.

So we researched in depth. And this statement by a country that is a permanent member of the UN Security Council to the gathering of all the world’s nations was really important.

So we have done something about it. We founded Wings Like Eagles.

If you want to know more why not Contact Us?

Or better still become a regular donor, so we can respond quickly next time.

So you can be part of a better system. Thank you.