British Airways flying aid to drought-stricken Africa

British Airways is to send a jumbo jet full of supplies for crisis-hit East Africans, it was announced Friday. The Boeing 747 will leave from Stansted airport in Essex, outside London. next Friday, August 12, bound for Ethiopia, the airline said. Carrying aid from Oxfam and Unicef, the plane will have capacity for 110 tonnes of cargo and will taken relief to people suffering from famine, disease and drought in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. Due to fly to Addis Ababa, the jumbo jet will be carrying 5,000m of pipe from Oxfam, which will be used to supply much-needed water to the Dolo Ado refugee camp in Ethiopia, as well as vital emergency food and medical supplies from Unicef. For two weeks from August 1, all donations onboard every BA flight are going to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal for East Africa. BA chief executive Keith Williams said: "The worst drought in 50 years means the lives of millions of people hang in the balance. The generosity of our customers will make a real and tangible difference to those in desperate need. "It is vital that we get aid from charities like Oxfam and Unicef to the most seriously affected areas across East Africa. We want to do what we can to help those caught up in this terrible crisis."