ECHO Flight
An airborne lifeline supporting humanitarian operations in the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa
Many humanitarian hot spots in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region are remote and lack a good or safe transport infrastructure. Roads are often in a poor state or simply unusable, especially during the rainy season or are not safe to use. Quick and safe access to needy populations is a constant challenge facing humanitarian agencies.
The European Commission runs a vital air service which opens up remote areas to aid agencies, enabling quick transportation of aid workers and cargo. ECHO Flight is a free humanitarian air service operating from Goma and Bunia in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Nairobi, in Kenya.
With three aircraft in the DRC and one in Kenya, ECHO Flight provides transport capacity to both the European Commission’s partners and other aid agencies working in these two countries. ECHO Flight is also available for medical or security evacuations. Additionally, ECHO Flight maintains operational flexibility which allows for quick deployment in case of humanitarian disasters throughout the region. Since its inauguration, the service has been deployed in response to crises in the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan.
ECHO Flight is funded directly by the European Commission. In 2011, the Commission allocated €10 million for this invaluable service.
Related information
- Leaflet: ECHO Flight - Saving lives in extreme conditions (2009)
-
ECHO: a lifeline in Africa's skies
(2010)
- Q&A on ECHO Flight in DRC: Air service responds to humanitarian turbulence (11/2008)
- Aid in action in DRC - Kenya
