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and people during the assessment phase, and
getting help where it's most urgently needed,” says John Woodberry, MAF’s manager of disaster response.
“We're
also looking at providing emergency communications as communications
hubs get established. The need is very great. Four million people have
been displaced, about 3,000 people have died, and 3,000 homes
destroyed. Access to the coast is terrible, so we've been flying
non-stop, to try to get people in and out so relief can go where it's
most needed."
The city
of Patharghata, with an estimated population of 40,000, was especially
hard hit.
"They had a shelter, but it could only hold 150 people. And this cyclone
was much worse than any they had ever had before. They only got 300 into
the shelter. And if you can imagine, when the storm hit, many many
people were left outside. In that village, 2,000 people died,” Woodberry
reports.
At Patharghata. the water pushed inland and churned throughout the city
for close to 30 minutes. Families tied each other together with rope,
and then attached themselves to large trees. After the cyclone moved
farther inland, all of the water suddenly rushed out of the town and
back out to sea, pulling thousands of people and hundreds of animals and
homes with it.
Drinking water for people in the affected areas is a huge need, says
Woodberry. Patharghata is one of many cities along the coast of hundreds
of cities and villages that have been hit.
Reports
indicate that the cyclone was hundreds of kilometres wide, so the path
of devastation was widespread. Most people who live in this very poor
region of Bangladesh live in homes made of straw, wood, and a tin roof.
MAF is dealing with more flight requests than it can handle, so
Woodberry is asking for prayer.
"MAF is one of only two civilian aviation operators in the country," he
shares. "Pray that we have wisdom to do the work that is most urgent."
MAF
works with aid agencies to reach cyclone victims
19
November 2007
Mission Aviation Fellowship is working closely with international
agencies to reach victims of Cyclone Sidr, which struck coastal areas of
Bangladesh late last week.
Latest reports suggest a death toll of 3,000
and rising as agencies and rescue workers try to reach remote areas
where entire villages have been flattened.
“I have never seen such a catastrophe in my 20 years as a government
administrator,” reported Harisprasad Pal, a local official.
Today, MAF flew representatives of the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP), UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) into the affected areas of
Patuakhali, Barguna, Bagerhat and Mongla.
Tomorrow, MAF is planning to fly U.S. Embassy officials into the
affected area. They may be accompanied by members of the International
Red Cross.
Along the ravaged southern coast, rescue workers are expecting to find
thousands of bodies. Elephants have been used to pull away fallen trees
from blocked roads.
Cyclone Sidr, the deadliest to hit the region in 10 years, has affected
2.7 million people. An estimated 773,000 houses have been damaged with
250,000 cattle and poultry destroyed. Valuable crops, almost ready for
harvest, have been wiped out.
MAF
is already having a positive impact on the work of aid agencies in East
Timor.
After just a few weeks of being established, early flights have
impressed agency personnel, greatly reducing travel times for staff and
increasing their capacity to deliver services.
Brad Sinclair, an MAF pilot and program manager, said MAF has been well
received by the non-government organization (NGO) community, the
ministry of health, and the government at large.
"It’s encouraging to see even the communities recognizing that the
aircraft will assist them," he said.
"On Thursday (August 23) we took Caritas Australia staff to the Oecussi
enclave and back, saving them 12 hours overnight on a ferry each way.
"The next day we flew to Suai on the other side of the island with CARE
International staff. CARE is the biggest NGO here. The trip saved them
seven hours of slow and difficult driving each way, plus we brought back
two additional national staff to Dili. They seemed pleased."
MAF
is flying teams from the International Red Cross (IRC) to survey
extensive flooding in Bangladesh.
"We surveyed flooded areas in the Sirajang, Gaibanda, and Kurigram
area," reported MAF pilot Chad Tilley.
"In the northern areas water levels were lower, leaving visible signs of
damage throughout the region. However, in the central and southern areas
of Bangladesh, the water level was very high and we saw widespread
flooding. "
Senior IRC staff were able to meet with the local community in the
Sirajang area where MAF made a water landing in its amphibious Cessna
Caravan.
"By viewing the flooded areas, (the IRC) will be able to coordinate
relief efforts more effectively and efficiently," said Chad.
Mission
Aviation Fellowship assists with elections in Papua New Guinea
19
July 2007
MAF has been called upon to assist with logistics associated with the
current round of national elections in Papua New Guinea, which have run
from June 30 to July 10.
Some families have been relocated out of Mount Hagen to ensure none are
exposed to possible civil unrest, as unfortunately happened during the
2002 elections.
Authorities were advised that MAF would not carry ballot papers in most
provinces because of their high security risk.
"But we have been involved in moving electoral officials, police and
Defence personnel to a number of outstation communities to ensure a
successful election," reports MAF General Manager for PNG, Mike Jelliffe.
"While Police and Defence Force aircraft have been engaged around the
country, MAF has provided a backup, which has been called on
particularly in the western regional Sandaun Province, including the
Telefomin area.
"Here, MAF has provided the only transport available for at least a
dozen airstrip communities, which then provided a central hub for voting
around satellite villages.”
Mission
Aviation Fellowship responds to Pakistan earthquake
18
October 2005
Pakistan Telecoms Authority has granted PACTEC a license to initially
install up to 5 VSAT satellite communication centers.
Additional sites are under needs assessment. At approximately $50,000 per
site for equipment, more than $250,000 is needed just for initial emergency
communications.
PACTEC has been placed into a key “cluster” of organizations in coordination
with the UN.
By some measures, the disaster is worse than the Indonesian tsunami. To
increase response resources, MAF is repositioning a King Air from Mali to
PACTEC to assist in the relief effort. This second aircraft will join the
Cessna 210 already onsite.
An additional $162,000 will be needed to support relief and development
flights for the next three months.
Mission
Aviation Fellowship responds to Indonesian tsunami
Jan 3, 2005 - Jakarta,
Indonesia
MAF is currently on-site in Medan
on the island of Sumatra in response to the overwhelming
disaster.
Indonesia is the hardest hit by
the earthquake and tsunami. Most of the northern province of Aceh has been
leveled. Most bridges and roads have been obliterated, and communications are
wiped out in the affected area.
Already, several NGOs and government agencies
have requested that MAF provide the lead in coordinating multi-agency
efforts, both to meet pressing needs as well as help in the rebuilding
efforts which are expected to take several years.
At the request of the Indonesia Air Force,
MAF has positioned a Cessna 206 in Sibolga where more than 40 tons
of supplies await distribution to survivors. This site will become the
primary MAF staging center of relief aid for the province of Aceh.
A larger MAF Caravan is scheduled for
arrival in the second week of January. MAF
will serve the islands of Nias and Simuelve off the west coast of Sumatra
from bases in Sibolga and Meulaboh.
MAF pilots, all of whom speak Indonesian,
are presently assessing the Meulaboh airstrip’s viability (see map for
details).
The MAF logistics and coordination efforts
are now taking place from a central coordinating center in Medan on
Sumatra’s northeast coast.
With ground transportation severely
hampered and relief tonnage increasing by the hour, the small MAF fixed-wing
aircraft are ideal for targeted localized distribution where supplies are
most needed.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi
Annan stated that the relief operation would require a massive effort. “We
are going to need major logistical support: airplanes, helicopters, and air
controllers to assist us move the produce and goods as quickly as possible
so that we don't have bottlenecks.''
During a January 2 interview on CNN, US
Secretary of State Colin Powell added, ''The problem right now is getting
supplies to large airports and seaports and then retail distribution….what
those nations need…(are) small fixed-wing airplanes that can get out to
those remote areas.”
Operating from 11 established bases in Papua
and Kalimantan and with an administrative office in Jakarta, MAF is
formulating plans to redeploy additional pilots and support personnel to
Sumatra.
Using satellite technology, the MAF communications network will assist in the overall coordination of relief efforts.
Mission
Aviation Fellowship saves 2,000
lives in devastated Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo
21
May 2003
Five
MAF pilots flew to the rescue in Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo,
as thousands fled the town during intense fighting.Rebel activity between opposing Hema and Lendu groups following
withdrawal of Ugandan troops resulted in systematic looting and
indiscriminate killing.
American pilot Dave Jacobsson flew from
Uganda
to Bunia where he began evacuating people based on their
vulnerability. People hiding in the forest rushed on to the airstrip
as soon as the plane landed.
MAF
pilots from Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, and AIM AIR joined the relief effort to evacuate as many people as
possible.
Michael Woods, MAF’s Country Director in Uganda and
co-ordinator
of the relief flights, explains, ‘This was a special event. Probably
never before has the whole Mission Aviation Fellowship community in
East Africa
worked together in unity in such a way.There was a gap and God has used us to fill it. We saved 2,000
lives, but we may have caused many other souls to be saved as well.’
In
the midst of relief flying, Dave Jacobsson had time to fly further
North to the town Watsa to collect an eye team after clinic work
there, and in nearby Aba. They performed 65 cataract operations, and
in Aba, a 68-year-old woman had her eyesight restored after 12 years of
being blind!
MAF
staff assisted with logistics providing an amazing co-ordination of
planes, pilots, communications and ground support. It proved difficult
for people to reach the airport in safety but on Thursday 15 May, a UN
escort enabled 200
Bible
School
students to reach the airport for evacuation.
Initially,
the UN was hugely outnumbered by rebel forces, but following a signed
ceasefire agreement in Tanzania
on Friday 16 May, they have increased UN forces in the region. Despite
the ceasefire, many thousands of people remain vulnerable, needing
food, water and medical supplies.
Michael
Woods confirms, ‘Our operation was successful. However, we must
remember the seriousness of the situation which we leave behind. Since
the start of this conflict, some 50,000 people have died and half a
million have been displaced.’
MAF airlifts Bangladeshi baby critically injured in acid attack
Jun
25, 2002
A
20-month-old Bangladeshi baby boy is recovering in hospital after
being airlifted to hospital by MAF following an
horrific acid attack that left him fighting for his life.
The
child’s family contacted the Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) to
inform them of his plight. After a call to MAF an emergency medical
flight took off with two nurses from the Foundation on board. MAF
pilot Bryan Pill flew the amphibious Beaver aircraft 100 miles
south-west of the capital
Dhaka
to collect baby Hadal.
First
Bryan
flew overhead to assess water depth, direction of the current and of
the wind, as well as looking for possible obstructions such as
invisible power lines or water traffic.
Observing the speed of the
current and three low power lines, he made a decision to land some
distance from the town, where he saw a clear stretch of water. As the
plane landed near a bridge where an ambulance was waiting with Hadal,
many people crowded to watch.
The
medical team found Hadal was badly burnt
on one leg, parts of his lower abdomen and arm. Damage to his skin was
extensive. After treatment at the scene, he was strapped into the
aircraft and flown to Dhaka.
Keith
Jones, Chief Executive, MAF UK,
says, ‘Hadal's story is an example of
MAF doing what we do best, serving communities at the time and place
of their greatest need. Without quick thinking by MAF and ASF staff, Hadal
certainly would not have survived this dreadful attack.’
MAF
is flying teams from the International Red Cross (IRC) to survey
extensive flooding in Bangladesh.
