Globe and Mail: Air tycoon flies medicine into Darfur

By: Colin Freeze

Air tycoon flies medicine into Darfur
Libyan-born businessman says people should not wait for governments to act.

A plane carrying valuable medicine left Amsterdam yesterday en route to the refugee camps of Darfur. While the shipment is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Canadian philanthropist who sent it says it amounts to only one drop of compassion in a desert of despair.

"What the news says is happening [in Darfur] is exactly what is happening, sometimes a little bit worse," said Walter Arbib, president of Toronto-based SkyLink Aviation. "People are using different terms, but what I have to say is there's a need to give help."

The immigrant tycoon said he is acting because people shouldn't wait for governments and relief agencies to sort out humanitarian problems. And people close to Mr. Arbib are urging other Canadians to follow his lead and do what they can.

"Individuals can make a powerful difference," said Mark Weintraub, who, like Mr. Arbib, is a member of the Canadian Jewish Congress.

Mindful of the terrible lessons of the Holocaust, the group has been lobbying to make Darfur an urgent issue. "We say to all Canadians, dig deep, your individual contribution can make a difference and save lives," Mr. Weintraub said.

Conflict in Sudan's war-torn Darfur provinces has killed at least 200,000 people -- and displaced 10 times as many survivors. While the international community is struggling to help refugees, basic needs are still not being met.

With some help from friends in Jewish groups and international humanitarian agencies, Mr. Arbib has arranged for the shipment of more than $400,000 (U.S.) worth of medicines now on the way to Sudan. The drugs -- which include antibiotics, deworming medicine and penicillin --are expected to arrive in Darfur by next week.

Mr. Arbib, a Jew who fled violence in his homeland of Libya, started a highly successful company after he immigrated to Canada. Privately held SkyLink holds aviation-related contracts around the world. They include business interests in Sudan, such as a contract to provide Canadian-funded helicopters to African Union peacekeepers.

With a head for business and a heart for philanthropy, Mr. Arbib has sent previous shipments of medicine to Darfur, and to disaster zones in Pakistan, Indonesia, Iraq and Sri Lanka.

The Canadian Jewish Congress lent logistical support to the shipment of medicines. A U.S.-based organization called Counterpart International is taking the lead in making sure it gets to the refugee camps.

The aid group often works closely with Mr. Arbib.

"Whenever we're in trouble, Walter's my first call," said president Lelei LeLaulu. He added there are many advantages in working with a tycoon -- including the fact that SkyLink operates airports in Sudan.

The situation in Darfur is "dreadful" he said. "They need everything. They need more and more. It's pretty desperate."

http://www.cjc.ca/template.php?action=issues&item=160