TNT takes the biscuit
TNT and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have joined forces to mount the largest airlift of food relief yet to the Philippines, flying in a total of 200 metric tons of high-energy biscuits for the victims of the recent floods in the country, reports the Journal of Commerce. The article continues:
The shipment, another endeavour in the “Moving the World” partnership between TNT and WFP, will take place in two stages-a 100 metric ton shipment and a second 100 metric tons arriving on 24 October.
The food assistance will be loaded from Izmir, Turkey, and will be flown to the Philippines onboard TNT’s Boeing 747-400 Extended Range Freighter. The freighter was diverted from its regular return flight from Liege in Belgium to Hong Kong to perform the humanitarian mission.
Most of the 200 tons of biscuits, which have been fortified with essential vitamins and minerals, will be used in supplementary feeding programmes to enhance the nutritional health of pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under five years old. In cooperation with the Philippines Department of Social Welfare and Development, WFP will target the biscuits to areas worst hit by flooding.
“Tens of thousands of young mothers and children are going to benefit as a result of this generous gesture on the part of TNT,” said Stephen Anderson, WFP Country Director in the Philippines. “We owe TNT an enormous debt of gratitude for providing this service, which will save us close to $750,000 in shipping costs. And we are also extremely grateful to the Government of Australia, who provided WFP with US$1.75m in cash, part of which has been used to purchase the biscuits.”
