Deadweight · the whole table
Show your work.
Nothing numeric exists in this codebase without an entry on this page. Each cell below is a range, not a point estimate, because the honest ranges are wide — a single air freight figure quoted to the cent would be a lie of precision, and sloppy arithmetic is the thing this project is about.
Every cell falls into exactly one of three categories, and there is no fourth.
- Quoted
- the sentence the number came out of is printed underneath it.
- Derived
- the arithmetic performed on the source is written out so you can repeat it.
- Assumption
- reasoned from guidance rather than taken from a source, and flagged as such everywhere it appears, including on the ledger line that uses it.
The engine reads costs at the low end of each range and usefulness at the high end by default, so every verdict on the front page is the best case these sources permit. Rigging the numbers toward the argument would make the exercise worthless.
The rate table
14 cells. Named as the engine names them, so you can grep for one and find the code that uses it.
AIR_FREIGHT_PER_KG
1.5–4.5 USD/kg
as of 2009-08 · low confidence
The most recent authoritative published range we could source, and it is from 2009 — treat it as a floor. The IRC reported air freight up 40–62% year-on-year in 2026. We do not apply that as a multiplier, because it was measured in a different corridor; the effect is that this app understates freight cost.
Air Freight: A Market Study with Implications for Landlocked Countries — World Bank, 2009-08
“Air freight rates generally range from $1.50–$4.50 per kilogram … 4–5 times that of road transport and 12–16 times that of sea transport.”
ROAD_FREIGHT_PER_KG
0.3–1.125 USD/kg
as of 2009-08 · low confidence
Air freight is 4–5× road. Low = $1.50 ÷ 5 = $0.30; high = $4.50 ÷ 4 = $1.125.
Delhi or Kolkata to Kathmandu overland, via the Birgunj–Raxaul crossing.
Air Freight: A Market Study with Implications for Landlocked Countries — World Bank, 2009-08
“Air freight rates generally range from $1.50–$4.50 per kilogram … 4–5 times that of road transport and 12–16 times that of sea transport.”
SEA_PLUS_ROAD_PER_KG
0.09375–0.375 USD/kg
as of 2009-08 · low confidence
Air freight is 12–16× sea. Low = $1.50 ÷ 16 = $0.09375; high = $4.50 ÷ 12 = $0.375.
Sea alone cannot reach Nepal. This is the ocean leg only; a road leg from Kolkata is added on top, and the combined transit is measured in months, not days.
Air Freight: A Market Study with Implications for Landlocked Countries — World Bank, 2009-08
“Air freight rates generally range from $1.50–$4.50 per kilogram … 4–5 times that of road transport and 12–16 times that of sea transport.”
NPR_PER_USD
130–145 NPR/USD
as of 2025-07-17 · low confidence
The source states NPR 19,550/month ≈ USD 146, implying NPR 133.9 per USD on 17 Jul 2025. The band is widened to 130–145 to absorb drift between that date and now.
An exchange rate is not a fact about the world that stays still. Refresh before quoting.
Minimum wage for workers, notified under the Labour Act 2074 (2017) — Government of Nepal, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, 2025-07-17 · unverified
“NPR 19,550 per month — basic salary NPR 12,170 plus dearness allowance NPR 7,380 — for a full-time worker, 8 hours per day.”
SORTING_WAGE_PER_HOUR
0.7–1.05 USD/hour
as of 2025-07-17 · medium confidence
NPR 19,550/month ÷ 208.7 h (8 h/day × 6 days/week × 4.348 weeks) = NPR 93.7/h. At NPR 133.9/USD that is USD 0.70/h. High end adds the 50% premium the sources report for semi-skilled work.
Nepal's statutory minimum wage, basic plus dearness allowance, as notified under the Labour Act 2074.
Minimum wage for workers, notified under the Labour Act 2074 (2017) — Government of Nepal, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, 2025-07-17 · unverified
“NPR 19,550 per month — basic salary NPR 12,170 plus dearness allowance NPR 7,380 — for a full-time worker, 8 hours per day.”
SORTING_HOURS_PER_TONNE
8–40 hours/tonne
as of 2021 · low confidenceassumption
No published hours-per-tonne figure was found for triaging unsolicited mixed goods, so this is an explicit assumption, not a citation. The low end assumes palletised uniform cartons; the high end assumes loose mixed clothing that must be opened, sorted and repacked by hand. Marked as an assumption in the UI wherever it appears.
Strategies for Managing Unsolicited Donations — Global Logistics Cluster, 2021 · unverified
DISPOSAL_PER_KG
0.096–0.3 USD/kg
as of 2020-01 · low confidenceassumption
$96 per ton ÷ 1,000 kg = $0.096/kg.
The low end is a documented US municipal tipping fee, used as a proxy. The high end is an assumption: the flood-affected districts have no formal landfill capacity, so unusable goods must be trucked back out over a damaged road network before they can be disposed of at all, which costs more than a tipping fee, not less.
Discarded Textiles (Solid Waste Operator Training) — New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, 2020-01 · unverified
“350 tons x $96/ton = $33,600 in disposal costs/year.”
STORAGE_PER_KG_MONTH
0.379 USD/kg/month
as of 2020 · medium confidence
$2,000,000 ÷ (20 containers × 22,000 kg) ÷ 12 months = $0.379/kg/month.
A floor, not an estimate. The source says containers held 'up to' 22 tons, so the denominator is a maximum and the true rate per kilogram is higher. Charged only while goods sit undelivered.
Unsolicited bilateral donations and in-kind assistance — IFRC Disaster Law, 2020 · unverified
“In Vanuatu, 20 containers, each containing up to 22 tons of donated goods, went uncollected. A year later, they had accumulated over $2 million in storage fees.”
CONGESTED_STORAGE_MONTHS
0–12 months
as of 2020 · low confidenceassumption
Zero at the generous end: assume the consignment is collected immediately. Twelve at the harsh end, which is what actually happened in Vanuatu. Storage is therefore invisible in the default reading and appears only when the harsh reading is requested.
Unsolicited bilateral donations and in-kind assistance — IFRC Disaster Law, 2020 · unverified
“In Vanuatu, 20 containers, each containing up to 22 tons of donated goods, went uncollected. A year later, they had accumulated over $2 million in storage fees.”
USABLE_UNSOLICITED
0.1–0.4 fraction
as of 2023 · medium confidence
High = 1 − 0.60 (Airlink: 60% of goods arriving are not needed or appropriate). Low = 0.10 (Corbett et al., Production and Operations Management 2022: about 10% of unsolicited donations are high priority).
Why cash is better than in-kind donations — Airlink, 2023 · unverified
“60 percent of the goods that arrive during emergencies are not needed or appropriate for the recovery or the region.”
USABLE_USED_CLOTHING
0.05–0.15 fraction
as of 2022-05 · low confidence
High = 0.15 (NIST: only about 15% of used textiles get reused or recycled).
A US domestic reuse rate used as a proxy for a disaster consignment, which is a stretch in the donation's favour: sorted commercial textile streams recover more than a mixed emergency donation does, not less.
Your Clothes Can Have an Afterlife — U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2022-05 · unverified
“Only about 15% of used clothes and other textiles in the United States get reused or recycled. The other 85% head straight to the landfill or incinerator.”
USABLE_REQUESTED
0.85–0.95 fraction
as of 2026-09-04 · low confidenceassumption
The case the guidance actually recommends: an item named on the appeal, new, procured to specification and correctly packed. No source puts a number on how much of that lands, so this is an assumption. It exists because this app has to be able to say yes.
UN and partners launch US$49.6 million flash appeal for people affected by the Rasuwa flood — United Nations in Nepal, 2026-09-04 · unverified
“The appeal seeks US$49.6 million to reach more than 84,000 people, prioritising direct cash assistance, cold-weather shelter materials, portable solar power units, water purification systems, food aid and emergency mobile clinics, with winter fast approaching.”
CASH_PASS_THROUGH
0.8 fraction
as of 2025-03 · medium confidence
80 cents of every dollar reaching the affected person. Reported for loss-and-damage funding rather than emergency cash specifically, so it is the closest defensible figure rather than an exact one.
Submission to the FRLD Board on the use of cash transfers within the Fund's operating modalities — CALP Network, 2025-03 · unverified
“…meaning $80c in every $1 of L&D funding going directly to those most impacted.”
APPEAL_USD_PER_PERSON
590.48 USD/person
as of 2026-09-04 · high confidence
US$49,600,000 ÷ 84,000 people = $590.48 per person for the full appeal.
The whole appeal divided by the whole target caseload — shelter, water, health, food and cash together, not a cash transfer value. It is the response's own arithmetic, used here only as a yardstick.
UN and partners launch US$49.6 million flash appeal for people affected by the Rasuwa flood — United Nations in Nepal, 2026-09-04 · unverified
“The appeal seeks US$49.6 million to reach more than 84,000 people, prioritising direct cash assistance, cold-weather shelter materials, portable solar power units, water purification systems, food aid and emergency mobile clinics, with winter fast approaching.”
Every assumption, listed
These cells are reasoned from humanitarian guidance rather than quoted from a published figure. They are the weakest part of the table and they are named here so nobody has to find them.
- SORTING_HOURS_PER_TONNE · 8–40 hours/tonne
- DISPOSAL_PER_KG · 0.096–0.3 USD/kg
- CONGESTED_STORAGE_MONTHS · 0–12 months
- USABLE_REQUESTED · 0.85–0.95 fraction
In-region replacement prices for every catalogue item are assumptions too — the UNICEF Supply Catalogue publishes no relief-item unit prices we could read. That is why valuing the usable share at local prices is off by default on the front page: the headline verdict is kept to sourced figures only.
Other Sources
- Why cash is better than in-kind donations
Airlink, 2023 · airlink-inappropriate-60
- Unsolicited bilateral donations and in-kind assistance
IFRC Disaster Law, 2020 · ifrc-disasterlaw-vanuatu
- Unsolicited In-Kind Donations & Other Inappropriate Humanitarian Goods
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 2019 · ocha-unsolicited-goods
- Strategies for Managing Unsolicited Donations
Global Logistics Cluster, 2021 · logcluster-unsolicited
- Avoiding the 'Second Disaster' of Unwanted Donations
Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado Boulder, 2018 · nhc-second-disaster
- Greatest Good Donation Calculator
USAID Center for International Disaster Information, 2017 · usaid-cidi-calculator
- Food Assistance Modalities Fact Sheet
USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, 2021 · usaid-modalities
- Guidance on donations in response to international disasters
U.S. Department of State, 2023 · state-dept-cash-is-best
- Submission to the FRLD Board on the use of cash transfers within the Fund's operating modalities
CALP Network, 2025-03 · calp-frld-2025
- Cost Effectiveness of Humanitarian Cash Programming
UK Department for International Development (K4D), 2019-02 · dfid-cash-cost-effectiveness
- Cash-based approaches in humanitarian emergencies: a systematic review
ALNAP / ODI, 2015-11 · alnap-cash-efficiency-2015
- Minimum wage for workers, notified under the Labour Act 2074 (2017)
Government of Nepal, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, 2025-07-17 · nepal-minimum-wage-2025
- Discarded Textiles (Solid Waste Operator Training)
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, 2020-01 · nh-des-textile-disposal
- Charities, local authorities and the public to bear cost of UK's used textiles crisis
WRAP, 2025 · wrap-textiles-2025
- Your Clothes Can Have an Afterlife
U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2022-05 · nist-textile-reuse
- Donating Infant Feeding Items in Emergencies
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024 · cdc-infant-formula-donations
- Standard Operating Procedures on Donations, Distribution and Procurement of Infant Formula and Infant Feeding Equipment
UNHCR, 2023 · unhcr-bms-sop
- Technical note on donations of breastmilk substitutes in emergencies
UNICEF, 2020 · unicef-bms-technical-note
- UN and partners launch US$49.6 million flash appeal for people affected by the Rasuwa flood
United Nations in Nepal, 2026-09-04 · un-nepal-flash-appeal-2026
- Nepal: flash floods in Rasuwa — children affected
UNICEF, 2026-08-27 · unicef-nepal-27aug2026
- Aid organizations responding to the Nepal floods, and how to give to them
The New York Times, 2026-09-01 · nyt-nepal-donate-2026
The catalogue
Declared value is what a donor in a high-income country would say the item is worth — retail, or the replacement cost of a used item. Weight is what decides the freight bill, and weight is what decides most verdicts.
Water purification tablets (strip of 10)
purification-tablets · requested
0.01 kg · $1.50 / strip
Portable solar lamp
solar-lamp · requested
0.4 kg · $25.00 / lamp
Reinforced tarpaulin, 4 × 5 m
tarpaulin · requested
4.5 kg · $32.00 / sheet
New insulated jacket, sized and packed
thermal-jacket-new · requested
0.9 kg · $45.00 / jacket
Sanitary pads, pack of 10
sanitary-pads · requested
0.25 kg · $6.00 / pack
Wool blanket
wool-blanket · requested
2 kg · $28.00 / blanket
Bottled water, 1 litre
bottled-water · unsolicited
1.05 kg · $1.20 / bottle
Rice, 25 kg sack
rice-sack · unsolicited
25 kg · $22.00 / sack
Used winter jacket, from a wardrobe
used-winter-jacket · used-clothing
1.2 kg · $60.00 / jacket
Used shoes, pair
used-shoes · used-clothing
0.8 kg · $40.00 / pair
Soft toy
soft-toy · unsolicited
0.3 kg · $15.00 / toy
Infant formula, 400 g tindo not send
infant-formula · prohibited
0.45 kg · $18.00 / tin
Assorted medicines from a home cabinetdo not send
assorted-medicines · prohibited
0.3 kg · $80.00 / box
Every citation
- Air Freight: A Market Study with Implications for Landlocked Countries
World Bank, 2009-08 · document fetched and read
“Air freight rates generally range from $1.50–$4.50 per kilogram … 4–5 times that of road transport and 12–16 times that of sea transport.”
- Two months into Iran war, IRC operational costs spike by up to 50% as fuel prices rise and aid routes collapse
International Rescue Committee, 2026 · a named third party reports the figure from a study
“Air freight costs are up 40-62% since last year.”
- Why cash is better than in-kind donations
Airlink, 2023 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“60 percent of the goods that arrive during emergencies are not needed or appropriate for the recovery or the region.”
- Sustainable Humanitarian Operations: An Integrated Perspective
Charles J. Corbett (UCLA Anderson), Alfonso J. Pedraza-Martinez (Indiana University), Luk N. Van Wassenhove (INSEAD) — Production and Operations Management, 2022 · a named third party reports the figure from a study
“Only about 10% of unsolicited donations are considered high priority while 60% can be 'completely useless'.”
- Can Humanitarian Aid Turn Wastefulness to Sustainability?
UCLA Anderson Review, 2022 · document fetched and read
“750 tons of bottled water was left unused [Tōhoku, 2011] … [Haiti, 2010] less than 2% of the support had reached intended beneficiaries.”
- Unsolicited bilateral donations and in-kind assistance
IFRC Disaster Law, 2020 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“In Vanuatu, 20 containers, each containing up to 22 tons of donated goods, went uncollected. A year later, they had accumulated over $2 million in storage fees.”
- Unsolicited In-Kind Donations & Other Inappropriate Humanitarian Goods
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 2019 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
- Strategies for Managing Unsolicited Donations
Global Logistics Cluster, 2021 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
- Avoiding the 'Second Disaster' of Unwanted Donations
Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado Boulder, 2018 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
- Greatest Good Donation Calculator
USAID Center for International Disaster Information, 2017 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“Cash donations allow relief organisations to buy exactly what is needed, close to where it is needed.”
- Food Assistance Modalities Fact Sheet
USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, 2021 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“In-kind food aid shipped from the United States takes 4–6 months to reach beneficiaries.”
- Guidance on donations in response to international disasters
U.S. Department of State, 2023 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“Unsolicited material donations clog supply chains, waste space, and burden relief workers.”
- Cost efficiency: non-food item distribution
International Rescue Committee, 2018 · document fetched and read
“Comparing cash and NFI programs that served fewer than 1,000 households, NFI programs cost more per dollar of value delivered than cash programs of the same scale.”
- Submission to the FRLD Board on the use of cash transfers within the Fund's operating modalities
CALP Network, 2025-03 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“…meaning $80c in every $1 of L&D funding going directly to those most impacted.”
- Cost Effectiveness of Humanitarian Cash Programming
UK Department for International Development (K4D), 2019-02 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“There is consensus in the literature that giving people cash in humanitarian contexts provides greater choice and dignity while at the same time generating cost efficiency gains.”
- Cash-based approaches in humanitarian emergencies: a systematic review
ALNAP / ODI, 2015-11 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“Not only are cash transfers generally cheaper in administrative cost per dollar of value transferred, they aim to give beneficiaries greater dignity and control to prioritize their own needs.”
- Minimum wage for workers, notified under the Labour Act 2074 (2017)
Government of Nepal, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, 2025-07-17 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“NPR 19,550 per month — basic salary NPR 12,170 plus dearness allowance NPR 7,380 — for a full-time worker, 8 hours per day.”
- Discarded Textiles (Solid Waste Operator Training)
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, 2020-01 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“350 tons x $96/ton = $33,600 in disposal costs/year.”
- Charities, local authorities and the public to bear cost of UK's used textiles crisis
WRAP, 2025 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“The cost of collecting and sorting worn-out textiles in the UK is estimated at £88 million per year.”
- Your Clothes Can Have an Afterlife
U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2022-05 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“Only about 15% of used clothes and other textiles in the United States get reused or recycled. The other 85% head straight to the landfill or incinerator.”
- Donating Infant Feeding Items in Emergencies
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“Do not donate infant formula during natural disasters or other emergencies. Only official relief organizations should provide and manage emergency supplies of infant formula.”
- Standard Operating Procedures on Donations, Distribution and Procurement of Infant Formula and Infant Feeding Equipment
UNHCR, 2023 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“A general distribution should NEVER include breast-milk substitutes or any other milk products.”
- Technical note on donations of breastmilk substitutes in emergencies
UNICEF, 2020 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“…and teats, should not be sought or accepted for targeted or blanket distribution.”
- UN and partners launch US$49.6 million flash appeal for people affected by the Rasuwa flood
United Nations in Nepal, 2026-09-04 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“The appeal seeks US$49.6 million to reach more than 84,000 people, prioritising direct cash assistance, cold-weather shelter materials, portable solar power units, water purification systems, food aid and emergency mobile clinics, with winter fast approaching.”
- Nepal: flash floods in Rasuwa — children affected
UNICEF, 2026-08-27 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“Around 65,000 people have been affected across Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading districts, including more than 17,000 children; over 22,000 children need safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene support.”
- How people can help Nepal’s flood-affected communities
The Kathmandu Post, 2026-08-27 · document fetched and read
“By law, the fund can only be used for rescue, treatment, relief, rehabilitation and infrastructure restoration — not administrative costs — and its accounts are audited annually.”
- Aid organizations responding to the Nepal floods, and how to give to them
The New York Times, 2026-09-01 · document could not be read — quote reached us second-hand
“The Nepal Red Cross Society is delivering items like first aid kits, tents and mattresses. It has also set up a station for phone charging so people can communicate with relatives and friends.”
Found an error? That is the point of printing this. The figures move, the guidance is revised, and a rate table published in September 2026 will be wrong by next year — the dates are on every cell so you can see how stale a number is before you trust it.