India Dispatches Second Relief Flight Carrying 37.5 Tonnes of...
India has scaled up its disaster relief operations by dispatching a second Indian Air Force flight loaded with 37.5 tonnes of HADR material,...
By GT24x7 Reporter··GlobalToday24x7
In a major humanitarian push following catastrophic monsoon-triggered flash floods and severe landslides across central Nepal, India dispatched a second relief flight on Thursday, August 27, 2026. An Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft departed for Kathmandu carrying 37.5 tonnes of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) material, critical pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, NDRF payloads, and ready-to-eat food packets. This rapid aerial deployment follows an initial 10-tonne relief shipment dispatched aboard a C-130J Hercules transport plane late Wednesday night.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar highlighted the ongoing operation on social media, emphasizing India's unwavering solidarity with its neighbor. "A second flight has just taken off, carrying 37.5 tonnes of HADR material, medicines & food packets for Nepal. India remains in close and continuous touch with the Nepalese authorities. We will continue to strongly support the ongoing relief efforts," Dr. Jaishankar stated. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal echoed the sentiment, asserting that New Delhi stands fully prepared to furnish further logistical and operational support as requested by Kathmandu.
Handover in Kathmandu and Ground Situation
Upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava officially transferred the relief consignment to Nepal's Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Khadak Raj Paudel. The comprehensive assistance package includes temporary shelter kits, solar lamps, water purification tablets, hygiene kits, essential medicines, and high-energy rations meant for displaced families in severely affected districts.
The humanitarian crisis unfolded after continuous heavy monsoon downpours triggered swelling along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems, resulting in devastating flash floods across Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, and neighboring districts. The inundation destroyed key public infrastructure, disrupted connectivity, damaged agricultural tracts, and displaced thousands of households, leaving local rescue teams overwhelmed.
Commitment Under 'Neighbourhood First' Policy
India’s swift deployment aligns directly with its overarching 'Neighbourhood First' foreign policy directive, under which New Delhi regularly acts as the first responder during regional natural disasters. Indian Air Force officials confirmed that transport aircraft and specialized disaster relief crews remain on high alert at domestic airbases to execute additional aid sorties as search and rescue operations progress on the ground.
Both nations' administrative channels remain in active contact to monitor the ground situation, coordinate logistically, and ensure seamless delivery of emergency aid to remote flood-affected populations.