By Tan Bo
DARFUR, SUDAN, Sept. 28 (ChinaMil) -- China’s second peacekeeping helicopter detachment to Darfur, Sudan dispatched a helicopter to deliver 1.2 tons of supplies to friendly forces on September 24, local time.
In early September, landslides hit Sampali area in East Jebel Marra in Darfur, Sudan, resulting in several villages buried and severe civilian casualties. The Tanzanian peacekeeping force sent a ground detachment to carry out humanitarian relief in the disaster-affected area.
The severely damaged roads made it difficult to ground maneuvers, and the supplies that the Tanzanian peacekeepers carried couldn’t sustain.
The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) asked China’s peacekeeping helicopter detachment to airlift supplies to the mission area in Khor Abeche nearest to the disaster-affected area, in a bid to support the ground operations.
At 11:40 on September 24, a "UNO-796" Mi-171 medium multi-purpose helicopter piloted by the Chinese peacekeeping helicopter detachment’s vice captain Liao Weimin, loaded with 1.2 tons of supplies including fuel and spares, took off from the El-Fasher Airport and flew to the mission area in Khor Abeche. At 14:10, the helicopter returned to the airport after accomplishing its mission.