By Michael Ireland
Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (ANS) -- As cholera and measles sicken thousands in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), a faith-based relief organization that brings aid to needy people in remote areas of the world, is providing desperately needed flight services to assist medical agencies in their efforts to combat these deadly diseases.
A measles epidemic has threatened the DRC for the past nine months. MAF has been flying medical workers and supplies into the areas most affected.
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Mission Aviation Fellowship delivers a load of medical supplies and beds to a measles clinic in Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Photo by Tim Chase). |
"We have recently flown 13 flights to Malemba from Lubumbashi for MSF France, transporting doctors, nurses, logistics people, vaccines, medical supplies, generators, beds, food, water -- you name it," said MAF Pilot Tim Chase. "We have also been flying for MSF Holland, as they assess the situation and prepare to respond. Our support of this crisis is ongoing."
Chase added: "In one village, the residents wanted help so desperately that 300 people worked four days to clear and reopen an overgrown airstrip so MAF could land with the medical team and supplies."
MAF says that according to UN reports, some 115,600 Congolese children suffered from measles between January and June, and 1,145 died of the disease. MAF has provided continuing support for treatment and vaccination campaigns.
While measles plagues south central DRC, cholera threatens the western part of the country. Ron Wismer, MAF program manager in western DRC, reports the aviation ministry has been transporting medicines and personnel from Kinshasa into Bolobo and Mbandaka, towns located north of Kinshasa on the Congo River.
"We are now flying into Mbandaka two or three times per week to support the cholera work, and also flying regularly into Bolobo," said Wismer. "The epidemic seems to be following the river."
MAF stated that Cholera was first reported in western DRC in March. According to the World Health Organization, 3,896 cases have been reported, including 265 deaths.
Mission Aviation Fellowship (www.maf.org ) is a family of organizations with a singular mission: to share the love of Jesus through aviation and technology so that isolated people may be physically and spiritually transformed. Serving in 32 countries with more than 140 planes, MAF supports the efforts of some 1,500 Christian and relief organizations.
A significant part of this global network, MAF-US is headquartered in Nampa, Idaho. In addition to its aviation services, MAF-US also provides communication systems and learning technologies to share the gospel and improve the quality of life in remote areas of Africa, Asia, Eurasia and Latin America.
| ** Michael Ireland is Senior Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Ne wswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior Reporter |
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