EATC Belgian Hercules to convey humanitarian goods to Kurdistan-Iraq
On 28th August 2014 morning, a Belgian C-130 CH-07 landed in Erbil, Northern Iraq, with 13 tons of humanitarian goods on board: non-perishable food, medicine and clothes, all of which coming directly from Christian communities and parishes in Belgium. They will be distributed to the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi displaced populations and refugees in Kurdistan, irrespective of their religious faith.
A stop-over in Bagdad was initially required by the Iraqi state in order to verify the cargo but this was denied by Belgium MoD for security reasons. Instead the Belgian Hercules made an overnight stop in Burgas, Bulgaria, on its way to Iraq.
The aircraft left Erbil around noon for Burgas where it will stay overnight and should be back to Melsbroek, Belgium, on Friday, August 29, 2014.
So far the EATC has conducted or supported several humanitarian operations for its participating nations: France, Germany, the Netherlands and now Belgium.
Watch the video of this mission here
More information on Belgium’s relief operation in Iraq and its support by Christian communities here (article in French) or here (article in Dutch).
Pictures and video: Belgian Air Component
