ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2020 - 39

and systemic corruption. No one
on the ground had any faith that
the government could help them in
this crisis.
That was the backdrop to the crisis
into which Airlink and our nonprofit
disaster relief partners willingly
stepped. Within the first 24 hours of
the blast, Airlink started to receive
requests for airlift.
If you are unfamiliar with Airlink,
we are a rapid response disaster
relief nonprofit that brings airlines and
prescreened NGOs together to respond
to natural and man-made disasters. We
are logistics experts who understand
both the nonprofit humanitarian
aid sector and airline and airfreight
carrier's businesses. This makes
us unique.
To date, Airlink and our airline and
nonprofit partners have successfully
fulfilled 11 projects to Beirut,
supporting 13 nonprofits to move
tens of thousands of pounds of high
priority relief aid, including medical
supplies. Through its partners, Airlink
has provided over $200,000 worth of
airlift to these nonprofits, providing
added impact as it allows them to
invest saved transportation dollars into
delivering programs within their area
of expertise.
Initially, one of the most pressing
needs was supplies of PPE to head
off surges in the number of COVID-19
cases. Over 20,000 COVID-19 cases
were recorded in Beirut from early
September to October. To help combat
this, Airlink and Project HOPE sent
nearly 10,000 pounds of PPE and
hygiene kits.
We have more shipments in
the pipeline, including one where
volunteers could be working alongside
the Lebanese Red Cross and other local
organizations to rebuild schools and a
pediatric blood and cancer center.
One recent cargo movement was
7,000 pounds of medical supplies
for Cleveland-based MedWish
International, an organization that
redirects surplus medical supplies and

Heart to Heart International, one of
Airlink's nonprofit relief partners.

equipment to provide humanitarian
aid. A big thank you is due to airline
partner Qatar for delivering the
whole shipment. Our most recent
shipment with Project CURE involved
moving 10,000 pounds of cargo,
and another one coming up from
MedWish includes a Glidescope, a
tool that allows for intubation of acute
COVID-19 patients with minimal risk
to the health care worker.
Of course, none of this would be
possible without our nonprofit relief
partners: Adventist Development
and Relief Agency, Afya Foundation,
Americares, ANERA, Heart to Heart
International, International Health
Partners, MedWish International,
Project C.U.R.E. and Project HOPE.
And, of course, a huge thank you
is due to our airline and freight
forwarding partners on this response,
United Airlines, Qatar Airways,
Emirates Skycargo and Flexport.org.
But these are not the only groups
and individuals to which Airlink
owes a debt of gratitude. We also
need to thank ISTAT Board Member
Sarah Aoun. She was living in
Beirut at the time of the explosion.
I interviewed Sarah for our YouTube
show FLIGHTPATH, and I have to say
she provided a very moving account.
Sarah has been remarkable. Working
together, we have raised awareness
and established a Beirut-specific
appeal to support recovery efforts
(https://donorbox.org/airlink-savebeirut-2).

Last but certainly not least, the
Airlink team and I owe a thank you
to ISTAT and the ISTAT Foundation,
without which Airlink would not exist.
The support of the Foundation and its
leadership is tireless and enduring and
is critical to Airlink's ability to fulfill
its mission. The recent awarding of an
additional US$15,000 grant specifically
to support our Beirut response was
very generous, much needed, and
continues to be put to good use as
Airlink continues to meet the airlift and
logistics needs of relief organizations.
Our programs continue, and the
struggles of the people of Beirut will
not be over in the near future, I am very
sorry to say. But while the news cycle
may move on, Airlink and its partners
are in it for the long haul.

Steve J. Smith is president and CEO of
Airlink Inc., a Washington, D.C., based
nonprofit disaster relief organization
supporting communities impacted by natural
and man-made disasters. If you would like
to donate to Airlink, you can visit Airlink's
website at airlinkflight.org or contact Sandra
Walter, director of development, at swalter@
airlinkflight.org.
Jetrader

* WINTER 2020 * 3 9
http://www.Flexport.org http://www.airlinkflight.org https://donorbox.org/airlink-save-beirut-2 https://donorbox.org/airlink-save-beirut-2
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2020

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