Joining the international disaster recovery effort in Nepal, UPS Inc. has donated $500,000 to aid survivors of the deadly April 25 earthquake.

Survivors have been pleading for help since the small Asian country at the foot of Mount Everest was struck by a powerful 7.8-magnitude quake. The disaster has left an estimated 5,500 dead, 11,000 injured, and several million in need of basic supplies like tents, food, water, and medicine.

UPS decided to answer the call by applying both its business muscle and its logistics expertise to the challenge.

This week, the shipping giant funded the delivery of shelter supplies and solar lanterns from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), thanks to a half-million-dollar donation from its philanthropic UPS Foundation.

UPS funds are also fueling humanitarian relief efforts, including emergency food assistance such as high-energy biscuits from the World Food Programme and tarps, blankets, jerry cans, and toiletries from CARE.

In addition to providing these urgent supplies, UPS is building a long-term recovery effort by offering on-the-ground logistics support. The company has coordinated a charter flight to Nepal to deliver relief supplies collected by partner organizations of the Dubai International Humanitarian City (IHC).

Future transportation efforts will support deliveries of supplies from the United Nations Logistics Cluster and the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

"The devastation in Nepal is heartbreaking, and our condolences go out to all of the people impacted by this terrible tragedy," said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation. "As recovery efforts continue, we will work closely with our partner organizations and the United Nations Logistics Cluster to evaluate additional ways that UPS can help through critical logistics support."