Maximus Air Cargo has pledged three free-of-charge cargo flights to Pakistan during the UAE Telethon for Pakistan. The airline, a part of Abu Dhabi Aviation Group, is an experienced player in UAE humanitarian effort and is an official partner of the UAE Red Crescent. The three cargo flights will depart for Pakistan over the next two weeks and will carry approximately 150 tonnes of vital supplies. These are likely to include tents, blankets and drinking supplies for those hit by what is the worst flooding in Pakistan in nearly a century. At least 23 million people in Pakistan have now been affected overall, with six million made homeless and eight million in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The UAE Telethon, which was launched for three days by the Red Crescent, has received tremendous response to help Pakistani people hit by the extensive flooding. The campaign, which ran across national media, was held under the directives of President of UAE, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Commenting on the pledge Fathi H Buhazza, President and CEO of Maximus Air Cargo and Founder of Care by Air said, "I congratulate the honourable work of the UAE Telethon. It is something the UAE can be proud of. Maximus is pleased to make this offer - it is something we wanted to do very much and most importantly to do it on behalf of the UAE." Continuing Buhazza underscored the importance of business playing an important role in aid, "Whether you are a big or small company - we all have a responsibility to donate, to raise the benchmark and take responsibility. My message is that if your business is in the position to give then please step forward and help. It will be the most rewarding thing you ever do." Before that, Maximus Air Cargo, already sending relief flights during the Holy Month of Ramadan to help drought stricken Chad. Supplies, provided by the UAE Red Crescent, are being dispatched from Abu Dhabi to help victims of the severe droughts which have devastated the West African state of Chad. The relief mission reflects the UAE's strong humanitarian conscience and the continued good work of the UAE Red Crescent in conjunction with its partner, Maximus Air Cargo. Aid agencies have already warned that up to ten million in West Africa are now facing starvation in conditions similar to the famine of Ethiopia in 1984. The North African Sahel region has suffered hot temperatures, lack of rain and bad harvests. This, coupled with high food prices and endemic unemployment, has forced the population into a state of crisis. Rapid response is critical to the survival of millions in the weeks ahead. As the exclusive relief partner to the UAE Red Crescent, Maximus Air Cargo is no stranger to rapid response humanitarian work. In its six years of operations, the airline which is a part of Abu Dhabi Aviation group, has delivered aid to disaster zones such as Aceh, Pakistan, Sumatra and Haiti. The fleet features heavyweight planes such as the Antonov (AN) 124-100 and Ilyushin (IL) 76TD which are able to carry large loads of relief and land in devastated zones with little or no infrastructure.(maximus/mar)