The US has joined several other countries in airdropping aid into Gaza, which is grappling with a humanitarian crisis.
Aid deliveries on land are severely restricted by Israel and falling far short of the numbers needed to ward off famine in the enclave, so it is hoped these airdrops will provide a lifeline to civilians.
But the United Nations and aid agencies have questioned how effective they will be at alleviating the situation, and their risks were shown starkly on Friday when malfunctioning parachutes caused aid pallets to hurtle from the sky at breakneck speed, killing five unsuspecting people.
Photo ops and pitfalls: Airdrops evade the often rigorous examinations carried out at land checkpoints, so are undoubtedly a speedy way of getting supplies into a conflict zone. But despite this advantage, aid agencies say their drawbacks overwhelmingly outweigh their benefits.
For starters, they are more expensive. Airdrops cost up to seven times as much as land deliveries, the World Food Programme says. They also have much more limited delivery capacity. For example, one truck is capable of delivering nearly 10 times the amount one aircraft could deliver — roughly 20 to 30 metric tonnes, according to the UN.
“Humanitarian workers always complain that airdrops are good photo opportunities but a lousy way to deliver aid,” according to Richard Gowan, the International Crisis Group’s UN director.
Experts have also questioned whether countries have plans in place for the aid once it reaches the ground. The UN special rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, says airdrops usually culminate in chaos.
Read more about the history of airdrops and why they are being carried out now in Gaza.