In the dusty, baking emptiness of Leer in South Sudan, bags of British foods aid fall from the sky to relieve the hunger below.
It is in the north of the country that the UN has declared a famine. It is still this same north that the fighting between government and rebel forces has driven so many into hunger and homelesness. The UK aid is being carefully targeted from the air; to watch these bags of cereals, pulses and food subtitutes pour from the bellies of ageing Russian transport planes that have been hired by the agencies is to witness an absolute good. For without this aid, more people in this war-ravaged, hunger striken country in central Africa would have starved to death.
The Ilyushin planes lumbered slowly into view alongside Priti Patel, the International Development Secetary, who had travelled many hours to see what impact the money she had authorised was having on the ground.
Despite the controversy over her £13bn aid budget, Ms Patel insisted that Britain's humanitarian spending gave its influence in the world
First, the planes practise a low pass over the drop zone, marked by a large white cross. They made another wide circuit to let nearby villages know an aid delivery is on its way. And then, at around 300meters above the ground, they begin to drop their cargoes. Each plane can carry about 30metric tonnes of aid , about 600 sacks. They make three passes, dropping 200 sacks each time. These are not parachute-born crates, just individual bags hurtling towards the ground. Like some dreadful game of pass-the-parcel, each sack is bagged seven times to stop it from exploding on impact.
More on this story, stay tuned.
It is in the north of the country that the UN has declared a famine. It is still this same north that the fighting between government and rebel forces has driven so many into hunger and homelesness. The UK aid is being carefully targeted from the air; to watch these bags of cereals, pulses and food subtitutes pour from the bellies of ageing Russian transport planes that have been hired by the agencies is to witness an absolute good. For without this aid, more people in this war-ravaged, hunger striken country in central Africa would have starved to death.
The Ilyushin planes lumbered slowly into view alongside Priti Patel, the International Development Secetary, who had travelled many hours to see what impact the money she had authorised was having on the ground.
Despite the controversy over her £13bn aid budget, Ms Patel insisted that Britain's humanitarian spending gave its influence in the world
First, the planes practise a low pass over the drop zone, marked by a large white cross. They made another wide circuit to let nearby villages know an aid delivery is on its way. And then, at around 300meters above the ground, they begin to drop their cargoes. Each plane can carry about 30metric tonnes of aid , about 600 sacks. They make three passes, dropping 200 sacks each time. These are not parachute-born crates, just individual bags hurtling towards the ground. Like some dreadful game of pass-the-parcel, each sack is bagged seven times to stop it from exploding on impact.
More on this story, stay tuned.
South Sudan Famine: How The UK Delivers Lifelines From The Sky
Reviewed by Omo_Nla
on
11:03
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Reviewed by Omo_Nla
on
11:03
Rating:
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