British charity uses drone to deliver desperately-needed aid in flood-stricken Nepal

Detailed summary

EXCLUSIVE: After catastrophic flooding, hundreds of families in a remote area in Nepal have been helped with over two dozen drone "liftings" supplying aid from Save the Children

Set against a mountainous backdrop, this drone will deliver desperately-needed aid in flood-stricken Nepal.

The device was used by Save the Children for the first time last month to provide support in the country. Hundreds of families in a remote area have now been helped by the charity with dozens of drone “liftings”.

It comes after catastrophic floods hit Nepal and Tibet in late August, leaving over 1,400 dead and more than 5,000 missing. Save the Children has been sending aid via drone to Aamachhodingmo, a remote area in Rasuwa — a district which borders Tibet.

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The charity has co-ordinated with the local municipality and Nepalese Army to provide aid via drone. Each flight has the capacity to carry up to 60kg — about the equivalent of a lightweight boxer. Save the Children says 25 “liftings” have been sent to Aamachhodingmo — helping 200 families.

Tara Chettry, Nepal Country Director, Save the Children said: “By using this technology, we can reach children and families that have been impacted by the devastating floods in the hardest-hit and remote areas. This is what humanitarian innovation looks like in action, finding new ways to reach children when traditional routes are no longer possible. When homes, roads and bridges were swept away, entire communities were left isolated, making the delivery of life-saving assistance incredibly challenging.”

Highlighting the difficulties, Ms Chettry explained: “Fog, wind and rain can halt the deliveries – there’s often only a small window of opportunity to send them. The drone batteries are charged using generators, and it’s a four-hour journey on a rough road to bring fuel to power the generators.”

Aid provided includes kits for education, hygiene, adolescent girls, babies and women.

“The community is…

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