|
Triwall is a commercial company that has developed a way of dropping humanitarian supplies in cardboard boxes from aircraft. The Department for International Development (DFID) considers airdrops of supplies to be a last resort for food distribution because they risk supplies being grabbed by the strongest people in the population, and can even worsen the humanitarian plight of more vulnerable people.DFID does not make airborne drops in humanitarian aid operations itself. Where DFID delivers relief supplies it does so with partner agencies, who normally distribute food at ground level. This method is easier to control, ensuring that those who are most vulnerable and need the supplies most receive them.In particular circumstances, however, such as in violent conflict where isolated populations cannot be reached by land, airdrops can be an important tool. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) plays a leading role in such operations and has delivered 1 million tonnes of food in this way to Sudan, Angola and Somalia over the last 20 years. |