Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman
In what is being described as one of their most challenging missions to date, local aid agency, the Gift of the Givers, has finally received the go-ahead to send aid to Libyan flood victims.
This will be done via cargo plane from South Africa and an airlift from UAE.
Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman said they had been receiving calls from the Libyan Presidency, their Disaster Centre, the Libyan Ambassador to South Africa, Libyan doctors in South Africa, students and civilians from Tripoli and Derna, requesting highly qualified personnel to assist their distraught nation who have had an extremely difficult week brought on by Storm Daniel and the collapse of two dams resulting in a "tsunami-like" impact.
Thousands of lives have been lost with many thousands missing, thousands are in need of health care with decomposing bodies putting the population at high risk of water-borne diseases in an already fractured environment.
Dr Sooliman said they had initially responded instantly with a team of 70 on standby including medical, search and rescue and aquatic specialists with all the relevant equipment, communication systems, Life Locator and boats, supported by their partners, Gauteng and Limpopo EMS, CPUT, SARZA and SAPS K9 Unit with dogs and handlers.
“But logistics and security was a limiting factor. The safest way to get to within 180km of Derna was to land a chartered aircraft at Tobruk. We tried unsuccessfully with nine private companies to hire a plane. The high risk situation in Libya with many armed groups, two separate governments (one in the East and another in the West) and the exorbitant flight insurance made it practically impossible to find a carrier. The one that agreed had a price tag of R16 million. The Libyan government offered to send a flight to fetch our teams. We refused for several reasons. They graciously acknowledged and accepted our concerns,” said Dr Sooliman.
He said, however, they did not want to leave the Libyan people “empty-handed in the hour of their greatest need”.
“They have requested body bags, formalin, medical supplies, consumables, PPE's, gloves, baby food, fortified food and energy drinks. Al Shifa Holdings, a private benefactor, will send a cargo plane to collect. They are arranging clearances with OR Tambo International for arrival on Wednesday. Gift of the Givers will fill the plane. In addition we are in discussions with medical companies to airlift medical supplies from UAE to Tripoli,” said Dr Sooliman.