"Our five-plane aerial convoy was part of a Jordan- and United Arab Emirates-led effort to air-drop food into the Gaza Strip, to mitigate the disastrous humanitarian conditions that its population is facing almost two years into the war. Once we received permission, we flew over Israel and out to the Mediterranean Sea. And then, as we descended to 2,000 feet, I was able to see my home for the first time in 20 years."
"The airdrop was a stop-gap solution; it could not possibly deliver aid at the necessary scale. But it was also a pragmatic way to surge food to Gaza's civilian population. Delivering food by truck is a time-consuming process requiring coordination with the Israeli authorities and cooperation with local NGOs to distribute the aid within the Strip. By early summer, as Israeli restrictions effectively halted such deliveries, the situation within Gaza grew desperate."
A five-plane convoy led by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates conducted an airdrop mission to deliver food into the Gaza Strip nearly two years into the war. After circling in Jordanian airspace and receiving permission, the planes flew over Israel and descended to 2,000 feet, revealing widespread destruction, tents, Israeli Defense Forces convoys, and ongoing strikes. Pallets of aid were released and deployed parachutes. Airdrops provided immediate, direct food access while bypassing complex truck deliveries that require coordination with Israeli authorities and local NGOs. Israeli restrictions had halted deliveries, leaving many dangerously malnourished. Airdrops remain costly per pound and risk injuring recipients, and no perfect mechanism exists for delivering aid in Gaza.
Read at The Atlantic
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