Qatar Cargo assists Gurkha charities in getting aid to Nepal

by Payload Asia

Qatar Airways Cargo has teamed up with English actress and philanthropist Joanna Lumley to help transport 5.3 tonnes of aid from the UK to earthquake victims in Nepal free of charge. The aid was collected by several of the Gurkha charities Lumley supports in the UK, but they had no means of transporting the shipment to victims of the humanitarian crisis in Nepal until Qatar Airways stepped in.
Qatar Airways Cargo collected the aid from the UK and delivered it to Nepal via its state-of-the-art hub at Hamad International Airport in Doha. The 5.3 tonnes of aid, which was delivered at the end of August, included baby milk, high protein rice meals, toys, saucepans, sleeping bags, blankets, duvets and more.
Having already played a significant role in the relief effort at the time of the earthquake in Nepal in April – Qatar Airways Cargo was the first commercial carrier to reach Kathmandu with international aid and has sent a total of 22 humanitarian freighters to the disaster zone – this project was a natural extension of the airline’s corporate responsibility programme.
Joanna Lumley_CSR-2
The 5.3 tonnes of aid, which was delivered at the end of August, included baby milk, high protein rice meals, toys, saucepans, sleeping bags, blankets, duvets and more.
“We were delighted when Mrs Lumley made contact with us to ask for assistance with the transportation of aid collected by the Gurkha charities she supports in the UK to Kathmandu. At Qatar Airways Cargo we are always looking for ways to give back to the international community and we take our corporate responsibility very seriously,” said Qatar Airways chief officer cargo, Ulrich Ogiermann.
He added: “Qatar Airways Cargo played an active role in the transportation of aid to Nepal in the weeks immediately following the earthquake, and we were glad to have the opportunity to continue supporting the Nepalese people by transporting this shipment on behalf of Mrs Lumley and the charities she works with in the UK.”
Further underlining its commitment to the Nepalese market, Qatar Airways Cargo received an award from the Nepal Freight Forwarders Association (NEFFA) in August in 2015 for lifting the highest tonnage of cargo from the country during 2014.