This is good to see:
Iraqi refugees 'facing genocide' to receive UK airdrop of aid
Philip Hammond follows US in sending relief for the 40,000 Yazidi Kurds surrounded by Islamists militants on Mount Sinjar
by Chris Johnston and agencies, theguardian.com -- 9 August 2014
Britain is seeking ways to rescue 40,000 displaced Iraqis trapped in a mountainous region by militant Islamist fighters amid fears of genocide.
Foreign secretary Philip Hammond said the first British humanitarian relief including drinking water and tents would be dropped "imminently" by RAF aircraft to members of the Yazidi religious minority in the Sinjar mountains in north-western Iraq.
[...]
The British government has pledged £8m in humanitarian aid to Iraq. The first consignment of UK emergency aid has left RAF Brize Norton for Iraq.
Hammond also called on other countries to send aid, which would also send a political message that "the world was horrified" by the events.
[...]
-- Yazidi children who fled the violence in Nineveh are taken to the relative safety of Sulaimaniya province in Kurdistan. Photograph: Reuters
Children are the ultimate casualty ... when the grown-ups "disagree," afterall.
This is good to see too -- the U.S. humanitarian effort continuing beyond its initial flurry ...
Obama: No Timetable on Iraq Strikes and Airdrops
by Zeke J Miller, Time.com -- 8:20 AM ET -- [Aug 9, 2014 presumably]
[...]
Obama’s statement came hours after U.S. forces conducted a second successful airdrop of food and water to the civilians, largely ethnic Yazidi, who sought shelter on the mountain as Kurdish forces have suffered setbacks at the hands of the Islamist militant group.
[...]
“To date, in coordination with the government of Iraq, U.S. military aircraft have delivered 36,224 meals and 6,822 gallons of fresh drinking water, providing much-needed aid to Iraqis who urgently require emergency assistance,” the Pentagon said in a statement. American officials said the drops will continue as long as there is a humanitarian need, adding they expect that need to continue for some time.
The second humanitarian drop followed three strike missions carried out by U.S. forces on ISIS forces threatening Erbil Friday, where dozens of U.S. military personnel are based and which is the location of a U.S. consulate. President Barack Obama authorized both the humanitarian and military operations Thursday night.
[...]
Here's a good article on the logistics and history of using military equipment to help those in desperate need. It has some good pictures, as do the other two articles:
US Airdrops Iraq: What It Is And How It Works
by Philip Ross, International Business Times, ibtimes.com -- August 08 2014
[...]
Since the mid-20th century, military airlifts have increasingly been used in areas affected by natural disasters, war, famine and poverty. Between 1994 and 2009, airdrops worldwide delivered some 1.5 million tons of aid in the world’s worst emergency areas, according to the U.N. World Food Programme.
[...]
Pilots coordinate a drop zone with logistical ground operators who secure and mark an open area. The drop zone is distinguished using white food bags in the shape of a cross. A local relief effort team gathers the dropped food aid and organizes distribution.
Food supplies often include food powders, dried beans or grain or, as was the case with the U.S. aid drops in Iraq, pre-packaged meals called MREs. These self-contained kits include some combination of the following: a main dish, a side dish, crackers, dessert, a spoon, salt, pepper, a beverage, coffee granules and candy. An MRE provides an average of 1,250 calories – 13 percent protein, 36 percent fat, and 51 percent carbohydrates, according to the United States Armed Forces.
-- An MRE contains a main course, side dish, bread and a dessert. Creative Commons
Looks yummy.
But better than a bomb; or a "your Loyalty or your Life" caliphate ultimatum, I suspect.
Given the number of people in desperate need, it looks like these Humanitarian Relief efforts, may have to continue for some time to come.
Maybe some enterprising corporation could streamline the point-to-point operation? Then again where's the profit for them, in that?
Hmmm?