National Airlines airlifts 84 tonnes of UNICEF aid cargo to Nepal

A humanitarian flight carrying 84 tonnes of emergency supplies landed in Kathmandu on September 4 as UNICEF scaled up relief operations for children and families affected by devastating flash floods in Nepal.

Supported by European Union Humanitarian Aid, the shipment departed from UNICEF’s global supply and logistics hub in Copenhagen for communities affected by flooding in the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli river basin.

National Airlines said in a social media post that it transported more than 75 tonnes of aid and relief cargo for UNICEF on a direct Boeing 747 freighter from Copenhagen to Kathmandu. According to the airline, the entire operation was mobilised in less than 48 hours, from the initial request through cargo loading and departure. The mission required rapid coordination of ground support services, logistics, permits, flight operations and cargo-handling arrangements at short notice.

The UNICEF shipment included acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) kits and diagnostic equipment, water tanks, hygiene kits and water-treatment supplies, tents, winter clothing kits for infants and children, and learning materials. Dozens of trucks were mobilised following the flight to move relief items towards some of the hardest-hit communities in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading districts. The airlift forms part of a wider humanitarian response that began after flash floods struck Nepal on August 26, damaging homes, roads, bridges, health facilities, schools, water systems and telecommunications infrastructure.

UNICEF initially relied on pre-positioned emergency stocks to begin delivering assistance. On August 27, the organisation said more than 17,000 children had been affected and appealed for $17.2 million to support emergency response and early recovery.

“Children across Rasuwa and Dhading saw their lives being literally washed away in front of their eyes in a very short span of time, with homes, classrooms, and medical facilities damaged. Too many lost their lives and loved ones,” said Alice Akunga, UNICEF Representative to Nepal. Road and bridge damage left entire communities cut off and made the delivery of humanitarian assistance more difficult. At least four health facilities were severely damaged, while 18 schools were completely destroyed and another 20 sustained damage.

As the assessment of the disaster progressed, UNICEF estimated that at least 65,000 people, including around 22,100 children, had been affected. Hundreds of people were reported dead and thousands remained missing.

Water, sanitation and health
More than a week after the floods, access to safe water and sanitation remained a major concern. Damage to water systems and sanitation facilities, combined with overcrowding among displaced families, increased the risk of waterborne and infectious diseases.

UNICEF estimates that at least 22,000 children urgently need safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene support. The organisation has dispatched WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) supplies for around 19,000 people in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, including more than 3,800 hygiene kits, 3,300 jerrycans, 3,500 buckets and mugs each, 4,000 bottles of water-treatment solution and more than 1,000 tarpaulin sheets.

The response also includes disease surveillance, hygiene promotion and outbreak prevention. UNICEF estimates that around 2,600 children under five could require treatment for severe wasting following disruption to food systems and critical infrastructure. Pre-positioned stocks have also included medical tents, bed nets, newborn kits, ready-to-use therapeutic food and micronutrient powders.

Supporting children beyond emergency supplies
The humanitarian response also covers education, child protection and psychosocial support.

The logistics response therefore involves multiple stages, beginning with pre-positioned supplies already in Nepal, followed by international airlift from UNICEF’s Copenhagen hub and onward road transportation from Kathmandu.

The National Airlines mission provided a dedicated long-haul cargo link between Copenhagen and Kathmandu, with the airline highlighting the rapid mobilisation required to arrange the flight, permits, handling and ground support within 48 hours.

“ These supplies are arriving at a critical moment for children and families affected by the floods,” Akunga said. “Thousands of children have seen their lives turned upside down in a matter of minutes. Many have lost their homes, their classrooms, and their sense of normalcy.”

The European Union supported the September 4 airlift as part of the broader humanitarian response. “The EU stands with the people of Nepal in the aftermath of these devastating floods,” said Thomas Millar, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. at the EU Delegation to Nepal. “As climate change increases the risks of floods, landslides and other disasters, we are supporting communities with essential humanitarian assistance when disaster strikes, while strengthening preparedness, early warning systems and local response capacities to help save lives and build resilience for the future.”

With infrastructure damaged across affected districts, the response depends not only on securing international cargo capacity but also on airport handling, permits, road transport, local coordination and last-mile access. The September airlift illustrates how these elements are being combined to move emergency supplies from a global humanitarian logistics hub into a disaster-affected country and onwards towards communities in need.