The Dutch contribution to relief supplies for Somalia
In response to this appeal, the Minister of Development Cooperation, J.P. Pronk, asked the Royal Netherlands Air Force to take a consignment of relief goods to the disaster area. The KDC-10 Jan Scheffer from 334 Squadron left Eindhoven for the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on 25 October 1997.
Deployment of air force team
The national airport of the neighbouring country of Kenya had been designated by the United Nations as a point of entry for the relief goods for Somalia. The 4-man air force team – 3 Dutchmen and 1 American – was under the command of Major D. Schmidt.
After 8 hours, exchange pilot Captain D. Leverson (US Air Force) landed the Dutch KDC-10 at Jomo Kenyatta Airport. UN personnel unloaded the cargo of salt tablets, emergency rations and medical supplies, which they then took to the disaster area in their own vehicles. The KDC-10 returned to the Netherlands the next day.