The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) employed one of its Embraer KC-390 Millennium freighters to transport 14,5 tons of food to Tabatinga, in Amazonas. The plane was loaded with 710 basic food baskets that will be sent to municipalities affected by the historic drought that has hit the state.
According to FAB, the aircraft took off, on Thursday (19/10), from the Manaus Air Base (BAMN) with the material, heading to Tabatinga, 1.108 kilometers away from the capital of Amazonas. The transportation of humanitarian aid was made possible by the Government of Amazonas in partnership with the Federal Government and the Armed Forces, which work to reduce the impact of the drought.
The Intersectoral Committee to Combat Drought, coordinated by the Civil Defense of Amazonas, reported that in the next few days 18 thousand basic food baskets will be transported to the Alto Solimões channel, 10 thousand of which will be transported with the of the FAB.
The basic food baskets are made up of 31 non-perishable items and are intended for the population affected by the drought in the municipalities of Tabatinga, Atalaia de Norte, Benjamin Constant, Amaturá, Santo Antônio do Içá and Tonantins, all located on the banks of Alto Solimões.
“In the coming days, FAB aircraft will continue to transport food to serve the population affected by the drought in the municipalities of Alto Solimões. The Government of Amazonas, through Civil Defense and other bodies, is committed to bringing humanitarian aid to the population quickly”, said the head of the Amazonas Civil Defense Department of Preparedness and Post-Disaster Assistance, Lieutenant Aldimar da Silva Teixeira.
According to the Civil Defense of Amazonas, 62 cities and more than 600 thousand people are suffering the impacts of the historic drought that hit the State. As of Thursday (26), only two municipalities had not declared a state of emergency, although this could change in the coming days, according to the agency.
