Three Latvian aircrew members freed in Darfur

Three Latvian aircrew members freed in Darfur

2010-12-09 06:52:48 GMT+7 (ICT)

KHARTOUM, SUDAN (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) on Wednesday announced the release of three Latvian men working as helicopter aircrew for the WFP United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) in Darfur, western Sudan.

The three Latvians were freed after more than a month in captivity. The pilot, a co-pilot and a mechanic were abducted in Nyala, the capital city of South Darfur, on November 4. The men will be flown to Khartoum before traveling back to Latvia.

"We are so grateful that these three men have been freed and our thoughts are with their families in Latvia who will be reunited with them in the coming days," WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said . "Now we can all celebrate their freedom."

WFP cooperated constantly with the government of Sudan as well as with the Latvian government to achieve the release of the three UNHAS workers.

The three men, Captain Artjoms Nalbandjans, co-pilot Janis Gindra and mechanic Kaspars Reihlers, were part of a helicopter crew that operated for UNHAS in the Darfur region.

UNHAS is managed by WFP, which throughout the detention of the three individuals worked tirelessly to assure the safety and well-being of the Latvian citizens.

UNHAS flies aid workers from the UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as journalists and others, to some of the hardest-to-reach emergency operations around the world.

It plays a vital role in accessing remote locations and in cases where insecurity prevents travel by road.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-12-09