Nepal - Logistics Concept of Operations, October 2026

Content

Background

On 26 August 2026, flash floods triggered by an ice and rock avalanche near the Lhende River caused severe flooding along the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli corridor in Nepal, with the worst impacts reported in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Gorkha. According to the Nepal Rasuwa Flood Flash Appeal issued in September 2026, the Humanitarian Country Team estimates that 84,270 people across 17 affected municipalities in six districts have been affected and targeted for assistance. Humanitarian operations in the area remain constrained by damaged roads and bridges, disrupted communications, limited storage and handling capacity, and difficult access to hard-to-reach areas, particularly in upper Rasuwa.

Due to the limitations faced by partners to access the affected area and to secure logistics assets such as transport and storage, the Logistics and Telecommunications Cluster (LTC) was activated as per request of the Humanitarian Country Team on 4 September to support humanitarian organizations in the delivery of life-saving supplies. 

This document outlines the main logistics constraints faced by the wide humanitarian response and the LTC plans to address these logistics challenges, including, but not limited to, the provision of logistics common services. 

For the Telecommunications area, a separated Concept of Operations will be published.

Logistics Gaps and Bottlenecks

• Kilometres of roads have been washed away, severely affecting access to affected populations, particularly in the Rasuwa district.
• Access to areas such as Nuwakot is also constrained. Although some alternative routes have been identified, road conditions remain poor and congestion are increasing lead times and limiting the types of vehicles, and therefore cargo capacity, that can pass.
• Some areas such as Rasuwa are accessible only by helicopter or drones. Given the mountainous terrain and valley flight conditions, with delivery locations in remote, high-altitude areas, logistics operations are complex, requiring experienced pilots, close coordination to optimise the use of air assets and close collaboration with the authorities to ensure safe operations. 
• Due to ongoing rains, the access situation continues to deteriorate in several areas, with renewed flooding, landslides and road closures affecting key transport corridors. Additional impacts remain possible while the monsoon system persists through the end of September/beginning of October.
• The cross-border between China and Nepal, Rasuwagadhi, one of the most important between the two countries, was affected and remains closed. 
• With Kodari-Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi entry points with China closed, Korala is facing congestions due to lack of equipment and capacity to handle increased demands. 
• Expected large volume of supplies could create congestions at Kathmandu International Airport (Tribhuvan KTM) as the main entry point for incoming humanitarian cargo. 
• Lack of storage infrastructure in the affected areas as they are remote. 
• Markets in Kathmandu are expected to experience shortage of some critical items due to the increased demand. 

Objectives

The objectives of this Concept of Operations are to:

• Support the humanitarian community in overcoming identified logistics gaps and bottlenecks affecting the response.
• Facilitate coordination among humanitarian partners to optimise the use of available logistics assets and avoid duplication.
• Enable access to common logistics services, including storage and air transport, where gaps are identified and resources allow.
• Support the timely movement of humanitarian cargo to affected and hard-to-reach areas, in coordination with relevant authorities and partners.
• Provide operational information and guidance to support logistics planning and decision-making.

Planned Activities

The following range of activities and services are not intended to replace the logistics capacities of individual agencies or organisations, but rather to fill identified gaps in the humanitarian supply chain and supplement the response of the humanitarian community through the provision of common services, based on need.

The following services will be made available to the humanitarian community:

1. Coordination

• Facilitate regular coordination with humanitarian partners, OCHA, the Government of Nepal, and relevant coordination forums to identify logistics gaps, share operational updates and agree on response priorities.
• Support joint planning to optimise the use of available logistics assets, including helicopters and drones, and reduce duplication of efforts.
• Liaise with the IMPACCT Working Group to support coordination on customs and importation issues affecting the timely entry and movement of humanitarian relief items.
• Identifying issues needing advocacy on operational bottlenecks, including access, cargo prioritisation, importation and customs procedures, etc. 

2. Information Management

• Collect, consolidate and share logistics information from partners, authorities and other sources.
• Maintain a dedicated Nepal response webpage on the LTC Logistics website to centralise key operational information, updates and relevant documents for partners. This information will also be available in the Logistics Cluster App
• Update LogIE with information on physical access constraints (including status of the roads and the entry points), partners’ logistics capacities such as storage and other relevant operational information to support logistics planning.
• Collect, consolidate and share logistics information from partners, authorities and other sources.
• Continuously monitor and analyse partners’ capacities and needs to identify critical logistics gaps.
• Share information on customs procedures, importation requirements and relevant Government guidance affecting the entry and movement of humanitarian relief items, in coordination with the IMPACCT Working Group. 
• Maintain communication channels via email and messaging platforms to promote information exchange among partners and disseminate relevant operational updates in a timely manner.
• Maintain a dedicated Nepal response webpage on the LTC Logistics website to centralise key operational information, updates and relevant documents for partners. This information will also be available in the Logistics Cluster App

3. Logistics Services

The services facilitated by the Logistics & Telecommunications Cluster are not intended to replace the logistics capacities of the agencies or organisations, but rather to supplement them through the access to common services. Access permitting, the following services may be coordinated at no cost to the user, depending on the availability of funds.

• Storage: Temporary transit storage services will be provided at the Humanitarian Staging Area in Kathmandu (located at the airport). Longer-term common storage services may be provided in one or more the following locations: Kathmandu, Bidur and Dhunche, depending on operational requirements.
• Air Transport: This service will include airlift of relief items between Kathmandu and Rasuwa, with potential stop in Bidur. Prioritization of cargo movement by air will be agreed in consultation with the Government of Nepal, Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) or the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG).
• Road Transport: As the Logistics and Transportation Cluster (LTC) continues assessing road conditions and physical access constraints for downstream logistics, road transport services using trucks, Boleros, or other 4WD vehicles may be provided along the Kathmandu-Bidur-Dhunche corridor. Additional delivery locations may be accommodated on a case-by-case basis, subject to operational feasibility and access conditions.

Annex I ConOps Map