Airlink, the Washington, D.C.-based disaster logistics nonprofit, has announced a grant from USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance to fund charter flights delivering humanitarian aid to Haiti on behalf of aid agencies working to combat a cholera outbreak amid transport challenges and security concerns.

The funding will enable Airlink to provide aid groups with free air transport of supplies, described as an “air bridge,” into Haiti. Spiraling transport costs have caused nongovernmental organizations to struggle to deliver aid. The first two air bridge flights delivered 88 tons of aid, including medical supplies, IV fluids, water purification supplies, and clean water filtration equipment to help combat the growing cholera outbreak in Haiti. According to Airlink, an estimated 18,000 Haitians—30 percent of them children under the age of 9—are believed to have contracted cholera.

In the wake of twin crises in 2021—the assassination of Haiti’s president Jovenel Moïse in July, followed by a deadly earthquake in August—humanitarian groups have struggled to deliver aid in the deteriorating security environment, particularly in Port-au-Prince, where gangs control much of the capital. The lack of port security has made shipment by sea unworkable, driven up competition for air freight space, and increased costs for associated services at Haiti’s main airport by almost 600 percent. In addition, air charter costs have increased globally by 160 percent in the last six years.

“The situation in Haiti is deteriorating rapidly and the human need is huge. Unfortunately, it has become a forgotten disaster,” said Airlink program director Stephanie Steege. “This air bridge is critically needed to get aid into Haiti, but we could not have done it without the support of SEKO Logistics and grant funding from USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and the American people.”

(Photo credit: AirlinkFlight.org)