Gazan shows off contents of US aid packages
The United States airdropped aid into the Gaza Strip for the first time on Saturday, as global warnings of a humanitarian disaster there are growing louder. In doing so, the U.S. became the fifth country to drop aid to Gazans since the war began on October 7.
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Following the aid drop, a new "unboxing" trend emerged on Palestinian social media, where Gazans reveal the contents of their aid packages.
A Gazan man named Hazem Saror showcased a U.S. aid package, containing four complete meals, Tabasco sauce, salt, sugar and Skittles candies for dessert. Contrastingly, Jordanian aid packages offer three meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner - along with coffee.
According to the United States Central Command, the packages were dropped over the shores of the Mediterranean Sea into the Gaza Strip by U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft to allow civilians access to essential aid. The operation was carried out in cooperation with the Royal Jordanian Air Force and the IDF, during which roughly 38,000 meals were delivered.
The White House said that aid airdrops would continue with Israel's endorsement. Critics argue that truck deliveries are more effective than airdrops, but recent increases in truck looting, including a large surge on an aid truck convoy last Thursday which the Palestinians claim killed over 100 Gazas, prompted the U.S. to participate in the airdrop efforts to Gaza.
Aid workers complain that this is an ineffective measure, and the shipments that are dropped do not meet the needs of more than two million people living in Gaza.