Cargo delivery brings total Emirates aid to 148 tonnes as part of a $10 million flood-recovery directive
KATHMANDU — September 4, 2026 : A third Emirati relief aircraft landed in Kathmandu on Friday, delivering an elite Dubai Police search and rescue contingent alongside 20 tonnes of emergency provisions for communities devastated by fatal monsoon floods and landslides.
The flight touches down as Nepalese authorities battle to recover survivors across districts heavily hit by torrential rainfall, which has claimed dozens of lives, destroyed vital infrastructure, and left scores injured or unaccounted for.
Nepal’s Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Mahabir Pun, and Ram Kaji Khadka, head of the Central Asia, West Asia and Africa Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met the plane at Tribhuvan International Airport alongside UAE Ambassador Abdullah Al Shamsi and Dr. Ahmed Al Mansouri, Director of the Office of the Vice Chairman of the UAE Aid Agency.
Friday’s delivery raised total humanitarian shipments dispatched by the UAE under the ongoing air bridge to 148 tonnes. The operations stem directly from an executive directive issued by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who pledged $10 million in emergency capital and logistical assistance through the UAE Aid Agency.
Dr. Hammoud Al Afari, Director of UAE Relief Operations, said the aircraft delivered a dedicated Dubai Police urban search and rescue crew equipped with specialized detection technology to trace individuals trapped beneath mudflows and debris.
Relief teams are supplementing cargo arrivals by purchasing food, clean water, and emergency kits from domestic markets inside Nepal to accelerate distribution to displaced families cut off by damaged roads.
Ambassador Al Shamsi confirmed that field operations are coordinating directly with local emergency centers to prioritize primary healthcare supplies, infant nutrition, and temporary shelter materials for displaced residents across remote mountain corridors.
