Logistics providers join hands to deliver IDA Foundation aid to Botswana
IDA Foundation shipped 36 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies from Dubai to Botswana amid the health emergency.;
(R-L): Vanessa Klaassen, IDA Foundation; Botswana President Duma Gideon Boko; and Leon Diradourian, Kuehne+Nagel
Botswana has received an emergency shipment of more than 36 tonnes of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies as the country battles a declared public health emergency due to severe medicine shortages.
The 82-pallet consignment was arranged by IDA Foundation, prepared at Kuehne+Nagel’s healthcare hub in Dubai, handed over to A.P. Moller – Maersk’s Global Air Charter Desk, and flown into Botswana by Astral Aviation on a Boeing 767-200F.
Before the shipment, the shipment was inspected personally by Botswana’s President Duma Gideon Boko, who visited Kuehne+Nagel’s facility in Dubai with his delegation. During the visit, the President reviewed the shipment of essential healthcare products, including medicines and medical supplies, prepared for air freight to Botswana. The consignment, totalling 82 pallets and weighing over 36 tonnes, was part of an emergency order placed through IDA Foundation.
“We are honoured to partner with the Government of Botswana and dedicate our healthcare expertise to bring vital relief in this emergency situation,” according to Vanessa Klaassen, Director Wholesale at IDA Foundation, as stated in a social media post by Kuehne+Nagel.
Kuehne+Nagel also mentioned its role in handling the cargo. “It is truly remarkable for President Boko to inspect the healthcare products at our Kuehne+Nagel facility, reaffirming our expertise in the storage and handling of pharmaceutical goods to ensure their safe arrival in Botswana,” said Leon Diradourian, GCC+ Cluster Managing Director, Kuehne+Nagel.
Astral Aviation, which carried the shipment from Dubai to Botswana, stated in a social media post, “We feel honoured to support the Ministry of Health and the Government of Botswana in transporting 36 tonnes of pharmaceuticals on our Boeing 767-200F to aid the State of Public Health Emergency.”
The landlocked country in southern Africa, Botswana, declared a public health emergency in August 2025 amid critical shortages of medicines and equipment. The emergency comes as the country, with a population of 2.5 million, faces economic strain from a downturn in the international diamond market and reduced aid inflows.