United Partners With Airlink to Send Search and Rescue Team to the Bahamas

A team of search and rescue experts from Empact Northwest departed Newark International Airport (EWR) in late August for Nassau (NSA), the capital of the Bahamas to help meet the pressing need for search and rescue services identified by Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. The Empact Northwest team worked with Airlink, a rapid-response humanitarian relief organization that connects airlines with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), that respond quickly and efficiently in the wake of major disasters.

"We can't thank United enough for allowing us to jump out of the gate right away to aid people devastated by this storm," said Airlink Strategic Advisor Emily Sperling. "Search and rescue, medical care, temporary shelter, food and access to potable water are among the most immediate and pressing needs identified in the region. United's assistance is critical in ensuring that groups like Empact Northwest join others, including Mercy Corps, ADRA, and Heart to Heart International in fulfilling those most basic needs."

Airlink notes that our assistance enables two types of first responders to arrive quickly: those with specialized response capabilities like search and rescue, as well as assessment teams, who identify the most pressing needs and establish partnerships quickly to distribute supplies more efficiently once they are on the ground in country. Our partnership is felt long after the initial outreach after a disaster, too, according to Ms. Sperling. "After Irma and Maria hit the Caribbean in 2017, we received requests to transport relief workers a year or two later, to provide training and rebuilding assistance to help these communities develop future resilience," she said. The partnership also helps move responders into place to assist U.S. East Coast communities in the path of this tremendous storm.

You can join us in our disaster relief efforts by donating to our Crowdrise fundraising page here.