It was yesterday, Friday, in Gao, Timbuktu (Mali) that humanitarian flights in the northern regions, operated by UNHAS, the United Nations humanitarian air service, and by the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross), resumed, after having been suspended since March 30.
After nearly two weeks of interruption, which took place under the radar, the transitional authorities finally allowed humanitarian airplanes to take off again.
While a controversy is roiling the humanitarian community about the creation of a new tax targeting NGOs, several sources assert that no financial counterparty was demanded in exchange for renewing the flight authorizations.
The counterparty requirements remain unclear but essentially concern security aspects.
Neither the Ministry of Defense, which had decided on this ban, nor the Malian army, nor the UNHAS service, used by many humanitarian organizations, nor the ICRC, wished to issue an official statement.
