Ms Mottley’s statements were congruent with statements made by her in September 2021, during the virtual Caricom Africa Summit under the theme – Unity Across Continents and Oceans: Opportunities for Deepening Integration.Īt that summit, Mottley proposed that the two regions agree to weekly direct flights between Africa and Caricom “even if it means that we may have to, initially, subsidise it.” According to Mottley, “the only thing that stops us from having direct air links between Africa and the Caribbean is the will of those of us who continue not to recognise the importance of unlocking 1.4 billion people who have a common ancestry to be able to work with each other.”Īt the second International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) meeting on the Sustainable Development of Air Transport in Africa held at Ghana in March 2017, a special side meeting was convened on promoting tourism and air links between African states and the diaspora, especially in the Caribbean. On September 1, during her keynote address at the launch of the first ever AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) host Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados called for direct air links between the Caribbean and Africa saying the two regions “have business to do” and underscored the urgent need for connecting the Caribbean and Africa through airbridges. This would not have been possible without the continued engagement, efforts, work and dedication from all our Partners: the Donor community, Governments, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Civil Aviation Authorities, Regional Civil Aviation Agencies, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), our contracted Air Carriers, our User Agencies and passengers, and, most of all, our committed and determined national and international humanitarian aviation workers.Business Direct air linkages between Caribbean and Africa I would like to thank all who contributed to ensuring that in 2021, UNHAS remained funded and capable to provide the humanitarian, health and development workers, the access they require to provide timely and life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable people and communities. UNHAS continued to deliver humanitarian and health items to 24 countries facing crisis and emergency in 2021. The availability of an efficient and effective humanitarian air service goes a long way in enabling the response. When disasters strike, the capacity of the humanitarian community to organize an immediate and efficient response often makes the difference between life and death for thousands of people. In addition, the year was marked by the unfolding of the crisis in Afghanistan, the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, and the intensifying crisis in northern Ethiopia. In August 2021, UNHAS began operating flights to the Great South of Madagascar, enabling aid workers to reach areas facing alarming levels of food insecurity. For example, WFP launched in 2021 an additional UNHAS operation to support the Ebola outbreak response in southern Guinea and established a UNHAS airbridge following a deadly explosion in Equatorial Guinea. Air transport remains the only safe and reliable means of providing the humanitarian community with access to many locations around the world. As we look back on the past year, the impacts of natural hazards, escalating conflicts and worsening economic conditions, along with the continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, have led to increased vulnerabilities and humanitarian needs.
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