In March this year actor Ben Stiller and other celebrities launched a viral crowdfunding appeal on behalf of the famine in Somalia. In less than a week nearly 80,000 contributors had raised more than US$2 million.

As a result Turkish Airlines, which operates scheduled services to the country, responded by donating a flight to carry 60 tons of children's food to Mogadishu where NGOs provided logistics support to ensure lifesaving supplements reached the most at-need children and their families.

Now the Stiller & Co. 'Love Army for Somalia' has done it again with its on-going appeal: On August 15 Turkish Cargo delivered another 60 tons of nutritional supplements to the country where more than two years of insufficient rainfall and poor harvests have led to drought, food insecurity and a risk of famine.

"Somalia is facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world," declared World Health Organization (WHO) Somalia representative Dr. Ghulam Popal. "Millions of people, already on the brink of famine, are now at risk of rapidly spreading infectious diseases like cholera and measles. Normally, these diseases are easy to treat and prevent, but they can turn deadly when people are living in overcrowded spaces and are too weak to fight off infection," he added.

The WHO said US$6.8 million is urgently needed to conduct a measles immunization campaign for 4.2 million children.

Turkish Airlines chairman M. İlker Aycı commented: "As the first call of help to Somalia echoed in social media, Turkish Airlines immediately took notice. We gladly joined the global movement #LoveArmyForSomalia, contributing a cargo flight as well as food and supplies to the people of Somalia. Now, we are doing it again, this time delivering 60 tons of special food for Somalian children. As we take pride in connecting Africa to the world, we also take pride in our corporate responsibility projects that extend a helping hand to the African people."

Recent projects in 24 African countries include building and renovating schools, orphanages, clinics as well as providing education and drilling water wells. The airline has also been responsible for helping set up solar panels for clinics situated in remote areas and cooperating with local authorities and hospitals to conduct cataract surgeries.(freightweek.org)