Covid-19: Emirates to transport relief items of NGOs for free from Dubai

Emirates said on Sunday it will not charge NGOs anything for transporting their COVID relief material on its flights from Dubai to India.

India has been badly hit by the second wave of coronavirus and hospitals in several states are reeling under shortage of health workers, vaccines, oxygen, drugs and beds.

"Emirates will offer cargo capacity free of charge on an as available" basis on all of its flights to nine cities in India, to help international NGOs rapidly deliver relief supplies, where it is needed," the airline said in a statement.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates' Chairman and Chief Executive, said, Emirates has a lot of experience in humanitarian relief efforts, and with 95 weekly flights to nine destinations in India, we will be offering regular and reliable widebody capacity for relief materials."

India recorded 4,03,738 fresh COVID-19 cases in a day, which pushed the tally to 2,22,96,414, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Sunday.

The death toll climbed to 2,42,362 with 4,092 daily deaths, the data updated at 8 am showed.