US airdrops aid to war-torn Gaza: Here's how the humanitarian deliveries work

The U.S. is continuing airdrops of emergency aid into northern Gaza in an effort to help Palestinians who are without food, water and other necessities as the Israel-Hamas war nears its seventh month.

The U.S., the Royal Jordanian Air Force and others have carried out 13 airdrops into Gaza since March 2. Most of the missions were conducted by the U.S. alone, or with the aid of Jordanian forces, which provided meals.

The airdrops have been criticized by some as inefficient. There's also been tragedy: at least five people were killed and 10 injured when aid packages fell on them after being dropped by aircraft on March 8.

Several nations have been delivering aid by air and it was not clear what nation conducted the fatal drop. The U.S. Central Command said it was aware of the deaths but said, "Contrary to some reports, this was not the result of U.S. airdrops."

C-130 Hercules planes used in US airdrops

Here's what has been delivered by the U.S., most of it into northern Gaza:

• March 2: Three U.S. C-130J Hercules cargo planes drop a total 66 pallets containing about 38,000 meals along the Mediterranean coast.
• March 5: C-130s drop about 36,800 meals into northern Gaza. Eight planes, three American, three Jordanian and one aircraft each from France and Egypt, took part in the second drop, according to Israeli news services.
• March 7: U.S. and Jordanian aircraft deliver a third airdrop of humanitarian aid, including 38,000 meals.
• March 8: U.S. and Jordanian forces drop more than 11,500 meals.
• March 9: U.S. planes drop more than 41,400 meals and 23,000 bottles of water.
• March 10: U.S. and Jordanian forces drop more than 11,500 meals, and other food including rice, flour, pasta, and canned food.

• March 11: U.S. planes drop more 27,600 meals and 25,900 bottles of water.
• March 12: U.S. and Jordanian forces drop 5,280 pounds of food, including rice, flour, pasta, and canned food.
• March 13: U.S. planes drop 35,712 U.S. meal and 28,800 bottles of water into northern Gaza. Two C-130s and one C-17 Globlemaster III U.S. Air Force aircraft are deployed in the airdrop, the first time a C-17 is used.
• March 14: U.S. and Jordanian forces drop 13,900 meals.
• March 15: U.S. planes, including a C-17, drop 35,700 U.S. meals and 31,800 bottles of water.
• March 16: U.S. and Jordanian forces drop 16 375-pound bundles of rice, flour, milk, pasta, and canned food.
• March 17: Two C-17s drop 28,800 meals and 34,500 half-liter bottles of water into northern Gaza.

The Pentagon plans more airdrops. The parachute-equipped packages have been packed to be safely dropped in populated areas.

What's in an airdrop?

Airdrops are supplies secured to pallets and dropped by parachute from aircraft over designated delivery zones.

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The U.S. Air Force describes airdrops as a "fast and effective way" to get supplies to populations in need.

The supply bundles are about 48 inches square and are packed into A-22 cargo bags. Bundles are secured to a three-quarter-inch plywood base called a skid board and covered with five layers of a special shock-absorbent cardboard called honeycomb. That helps cushion the bundle when it lands.

Each bundle has a single automatically deploying parachute that keeps it upright during its descent. High-velocity bundles are moving at about 70 to 90 feet per second when they land. Low-velocity bundles descend at about 28 feet per second.

Drop zones are chosen based on altitude and speed of the aircraft; obstacles such as trees, water and power lines; and access to the drop zone itself, the Air Force says.

What are MREs?

The supply bundles contain MREs, or Meal, Ready to Eat. They're described as lightweight, self-contained full meals packed in flexible bags. They're provided when more conventional food isn't available.

Each bag has an entree and other components, the Defense Logistics Agency says, including a flameless device to heat the meal. MREs also can be eaten cold.

One MRE meal bag provides an average of 1,250 kilocalories consisting of:

MREs can last three years kept at 80 degrees. They can last longer if refrigerated.

An MRE contains a main dish with meat such as chili and macaroni. Side dishes vary.

Do airdrops work?

Airdrops can get supplies into hard-to-reach areas, but there are drawbacks. Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International, told NPR that airdrops cost eight to 10 times as much as deliveries by ground.

There are also logistical problems, according to globalsecurity.org. Among them:

• Special airdrop equipment is heavy and reduces the volume of aid that can be delivered.
• Specially trained rigging personnel and aircraft crews are needed.
• Bad weather can affect accuracy in drops.
• Drop zones must be secured to keep supplies from enemy hands.

Why are airdrops being used in Gaza?

The airborne deliveries are the latest attempt to alleviate a worsening food shortage in Gaza. Israeli military operations after the devastating Hamas attack of Oct. 7 have resulted in "colossal human suffering," U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said in January.

Children are dying of starvation and an estimated 300,000 people have little food or clean water, the World Health Organization reported. Famine is imminent in Gaza, humanitarian officials told the U.N. Security Council in February.

Violence has hampered efforts to deliver food by truck. At least 115 Palestinians died and 750 were injured when crowds rushed a convoy of trucks in northern Gaza on Feb. 29. Palestinians said Israeli troops shot into the crowd. Israel said troops fired warning shots toward the crowd but said many of the dead were trampled.