A KDC-10 transport aircraft of the Royal Netherlands Air Force delivered 29 tonnes of aid to the city of Cebu in the Philippines last week.

The aid, made available by the affiliated aid organisations in the Netherlands (SHO), is intended for the thousands of victims of the destructive force of typhoon Haiyan.

The Defence organisation carried out the flight at the request of the Dutch government. After a stop in Mumbai, India, the valuable medical kits, tarpaulins, jerry cans and lamps arrived at Mactan-Cebu international airport.

“Those kits are really worth their weight in gold”, said Addie Bom, logistics expert with the SHO. “The teams of doctors can get to work straight away with them. Each kit contains enough medical supplies to treat 10,000 patients for 3 months. It’s up to me now to make sure these supplies reach the victims. Today and tomorrow, the various aid organisations will distribute the supplies by road and water transport to the island of Leyte, which was hit the hardest.”

Press Release, November 21, 2013; Image: Defensie