Luxembourg Air Rescue (LAR) carries out humanitarian missions with rescue helicopters on behalf of the Luxembourg Ministry of Cooperation.

For several weeks and days, snow chaos and extreme temperatures have caused dozens of cold-related deaths in several Balkan countries. Several states have had to take emergency measures, including Albania.

Albania issued an appeal to the international community requesting humanitarian assistance. Following a severe winter outbreak and heavy snowfall, entire regions have been cut off from the outside world and supplies in many municipalities in the north of the country have collapsed.

This international appeal also reached the Directorate of Cooperation of Luxembourg’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Civil Protection operations center, which receives emergency calls in such situations.

Luxembourg Air Rescue was subsequently contacted by the Luxembourg government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to determine whether it could provide humanitarian assistance in the crisis region with one of its rescue helicopters for approximately one week.

Thanks to a fleet of five rescue helicopters, LAR is able to assign one helicopter to this humanitarian mission without affecting emergency rescue services in Luxembourg. The operational readiness of LAR is in no way compromised by this mission, as additional rescue helicopters remain available.

Within the framework of the mandate of the Luxembourg government, LAR will fly to Albania on 21 February. On board the aircraft are a helicopter pilot, an intensive care nurse and an LAR technician.

From the base at Kukës Airport in northeastern Albania, missions will be carried out to rescue people from mountain villages who have been completely deprived of supplies for several days.

Up-to-date information about LAR’s disaster relief mission in Albania can also be found on the LAR website: www.lar.lu