By Tarryn-Leigh Solomons 
Jul 16, 2021
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Johannesburg – In an effort to provide relief in KwaZulu-Natal, CemAir has assisted the Ashraful Aid organisation to fly tons of supplies for affected communities which include food, medical supplies, nappies, baby formula and care products and essentials to Durban.
The airline’s CEO Miles van der Molen said CemAir was inundated with calls this week as concerns were raised about food shortages. They handled the transport of goods from OR Tambo Airport to Durban, where Ashraful Aid teams are on the ground distributing the much-need supplies to those affected by the riots.
On Thursday CemAir assisted with the delivery of 12 tons of supplies. Van der Molen said today’s quantity weighed more or less the same, but he added that the company is expecting a peak in supplies over the weekend.
“We are faced with a massive crisis and as CemAir, we always try to assist as much as we can in difficult times. Everybody is very keen to be involved because our phones just don’t stop ringing.
“Today, tomorrow and Sunday we are expecting it to peak on the airfreight side,” he said.
Van der Molen said the looting comes at a difficult time as the country is faced with Covid-19 and the effects restrictions have on business.
“People are really scared for their safety. They worried about not being able to get basic food supplies. The reality is that food is running out quickly and people are starting to panic. The crisis moment is here. People are running dry and many can’t get anywhere because of the fuel shortage. It’s really tough on the ground.”
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