NPR

Nobody Wants To Drop Food From A Plane. But It's Happening

It's difficult. It's potentially dangerous. It's costly. And it's going on in South Sudan right now.

A plane flies over a field in South Sudan. Out of the sky drops a cascade of pallets, sacks or boxes filled with emergency food supplies that, once they reach the ground, can make the difference between sustenance and starvation.

It can make for quite a show: Unlike ordinary truck or barge deliveries, an airdrop is full of drama. Specially trained pilots must carefully calibrate the altitude that will allow the containers, each with its own parachute to cushion the landing, to hit featured airdrops in South Sudan in

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
A Portrait Of Haitians Trying To Survive Without A Government
Haiti is on the verge of collapse, with little to no government. But many Haitians have already learned to live without the support of the state, as NPR discovered traveling to Cap-Haïtien.
NPR3 min readAmerican Government
The Search For An Impartial Jury In Trump's Hush Money Case Resumes
Jury selection continues in the trial focused on the former president. Trump is present in the courtroom while New Yorkers answer personal questions about their ability to serve on the jury.
NPR2 min read
Trader Joe's Recalls Basil Linked To 12 Salmonella Infections In 7 States
The Food and Drug Administration warns Trader Joe's customers in dozens of states to throw out fresh basil after a federal investigation linked the product to a salmonella outbreak.

Related Books & Audiobooks