Air-Dropping Food
Dropping heavy bags of food from the sky is expensive and dangerous, but sometimes it's the only way to do it.
By Karen Fanning
 A WFP airplane over Sudan drops packages of food to the population below. (Photo: Alexander Joe/WFP) |
"When there is no other way to get food there, [we] locate an open area where [to] drop the food," says WFP spokesperson Maggie Carrington. "Air drops are the most expensive way to transport food, so they're the last resort."
They can also be very dangerous. Three days before a scheduled drop, WFP officials secure a drop zone, contact local officials, and warn residents to stay clear of the area. WFP staff on the ground is in radio contact with the airplane pilot to ensure safety during the drop.
"If you hit someone with food, they can get seriously hurt—or killed," says Carrington.
That's because a single sack of food weighs 120 pounds. Packaged in plastic grain bags, WFP rations are triple-bagged so they don't explode when they hit the ground. They must survive a 1,600-foot drop from an airplane.
Once on the ground, food supplies are hauled onto trucks by local villagers and driven to a nearby warehouse. They are then distributed, or given out, by WFP staff and organizations like CARE and Catholic Charities.
This phase is closely watched. Survivors must present registration cards, which they receive before to the food drop. Each card contains information about their family, including their ages and number of children.
"To prevent people from getting hurt in a rush to get food, we try to make sure local villagers have an organized way to distribute the food," says Carrington.
Food Force Mission 3: Air Drop
In extreme emergencies and when there is no other way to reach the hungry by land or water, airdrops are sometimes used to deliver food directly to people in need. Carlos Sanchez, manager of WFP's crack A.L.I.T.E. emergency team, will guide you in this third mission. You must make the drops accurately, without risking human lives. Download Food Force.
 Mission 3: Air Drop Drop food from the air if at first you lack cheaper routes into Sheylan. (Photo: WFP) |
