KATHMANDU: Ten groundbreaking humanitarian relief missions to Nepal have been successfully implemented by Care by Air, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) non-profit organization charged with delivering transportation and logistics support for humanitarian causes. The four founding Care by Air partners, Etihad Airways, Maximus Air, Aramex and the Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) teamed up to provide services at cost, transporting almost 30 tonnes of donations from the UAE Ministry of Health to Kathmandu. The World Health Organization also supported the initiative. The cargo consisted of 4 million single-use syringes, invaluable in preventing the spread of communicable diseases. Nepal was chosen because of the country's urgent need for injection needle safety, and Nepal's Ministry of Health warmly welcomed the delivery. The missions underscored the success of the Care by Air ‘at cost' business model, and the desire of all parties to play a role in saving people's lives, especially in some of the world's most difficult trouble spots. James Hogan, President and Chief Executive of Etihad Airways, said: “As the national airline of the UAE, we are proud to have played our part. We are uniquely placed to support the Emirate's humanitarian aid initiatives both in our community and further afield.” Aramex CEO for Middle East and Africa, Hussein Hachem, said: “Sustainability is at the very heart of Aramex and is integral to our growth and success. We joined Care by Air in 2011 and we are committed to this initiative because we see our role as not just giving, but investing in society. All businesses naturally expect returns, and the return in this case is enormous.” ADAC's Chief Operating Officer, Eng. Ahmed Al Haddabi, added: “We are proud to have given support on the ground to such a successful mission. ‘Care by Air' demonstrates how businesses can work together for mutual benefit, and play an active role in supporting humanitarian programs.” Fathi Hilal Buhazza, Maximus Air President and CEO and founder of Care by Air summed it up: “Maximus Air's commitment to humanitarian and relief operations is passionate and these missions show the Care by Air concept successfully in practice. Together with our partners we have demonstrated how the Care by Air ‘at cost' business model can really work to reduce costs in the field of humanitarian aid. I'd like to personally thank all the Care by Air partners, Etihad Airways, Aramex and Abu Dhabi Airports Company, whose commitment, support and hard work have made this possible. I hope that our efforts will demonstrate to many other companies how they can creatively and financially integrate a social responsibility agenda into the fabric of their organizations. This is a worthy cause from the UAE which follows in the footsteps of the greatest humanitarian of all, His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.”
